The Phantom Nevermore
by LaughingLefou
Summary: Remnant is no place for a Phantom Thief, but there he was, clad in black feathers and a grin wider than an Ursa. But who is he? And what is his connection to one Jaune Arc? (Let's be honest. You already know.)
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own RWBY or any of the characters contained within this fanfiction. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, bless his soul._

 **Prologue**

It had been shortly after their first failed mission, that Jaune Arc of Team JNPR had disappeared without a trace.

He'd been sullen ever since the Bullhead ride back, and it was easily apparent why. His partner, his friend, Pyrrah Nikos, was laying, unconsious, wounded during the Grimm invasion when she'd taken a blow that he'd failed to see. Next to her, equally wounded, was his self-proclaimed brother, Lie Ren. All of it had been his fault, or so he believed. Bad judgement calls, weak fighting, whatever the reason, Jaune had put all the blame squarely on his shoulders.

It hadn't been until Pyrrah had awoken from her wounded sleep that she found out that Jaune had simply...vanished.

In a panic, the remaining members of Team JNPR and Team RWBY had rushed to Ozpin, begging for answers, but the sorrowful look in his eyes spoke volumes and they knew. They knew. According to the Headmaster, he explained that Jaune had rushed into his room two days after the mission and revealed everything. How he'd forged his transcripts. How he felt he was never meant to be in Beacon. And even worse, before Ozpin could explain that he'd always known and he'd wanted Jaune in his school anyway, the young blonde had proclaimed his intentions of quitting, and ran out again.

If that wasn't bad enough, two weeks later the entire Arc Family had appeared before the school, demanding to know where Jaune was. He hadn't responded back, no scroll call, no letter, nothing. The only thing he'd left behind was his iconic hoodie, a pair of faded jeans, and his scroll, placed gently on his pillow with only a small, post-it sized note next to it reading, _I'm sorry. - Jaune._

Weeks turned to months. No matter how hard Team JNPR and Team RWBY searched, they could find no information on Jaune's whereabouts. Ozpin had even attempted to use some of his contacts to find the missing student, but no such luck. Soon, everyone had begun to fear the worst. Yang had even gone so far as to beg Junior for information, but even the older information broker couldn't tell her where her former friend was.

Through it all, Ren found himself in the unwanted position of leader, something he was never prepared for, and never wanted. Pyrrah was in no condition to lead their team; Jaune's sudden disappearance and subsequent erasure from their lives had taken something from her, and she had become depressed, sullen and broken. So the stoic, green gunslinger found himself trying to keep together a team that was in desperate danger of falling apart.

So he pretended.

He pretended he didn't notice Pyrrah going out onto the balcony almost every other night during the middle of the night, sobbing, pleading to some being above to bring Jaune back, to make sure he was okay, clutching herself as she let her tears fall to the cement balcony below.

He pretended that he didn't notice how Nora had become less cheerful, less upbeat ever since Jaune left. He pretended he didn't see his childhood friend glance at Jaune's empty seat in class, or at their table and almost tear up, desperately trying to come up with some reason not to mention him or to distract herself from her own depressing thoughts.

He pretended that he hadn't noticed how Ruby had withdrawn into herself at the loss of her first, and probably best friend since she'd arrived at Beacon. He ignored the strange look in her eye as she trained, as though losing Jaune had snapped something in the young girl's mind.

He pretended not to notice how Wiess had become morose, as if she blamed herself for Jaune's disappearance. He pretended not to notice how she'd broken up with Neptune when he was called back to Vacuo, and spend an entire week alone in her room, her red rimmed eyes the only sign that the heiress had been sobbing.

He pretended not to know that Blake had become more secretive in Jaune's absence, and how she'd spend days at a time out doing... _something_. How she spent less time around her team and more time alone in the library, reading books.

He pretended not to notice that Yang had lost a bit of her luster and bluster. He ignored the fact that she joked less, teased less and even smiled slightly less. Even though she was the strongest, the loss of their lovable idiot friend had taken something from them that could never be replaced, and they hadn't noticed until he'd left.

And it was killing him.

He slept less. His mind consumed with worry and concern with every passing day over whether or not he could be a good leader for his team. Worry that his friend, _his brother,_ would be found dead. He'd spend hours at night, planning and formulating things that Jaune could pull naturally out in a moment's notice to protect them. It wouldn't be until Nora begged him to go to sleep that he would.

Every day he'd look up at the stars before sleep overcame him and asked a single question to the shining lights above. _Please. Bring him back. We need him more than he'd ever know._

 _ **Author's Note: Hey there, looking for a beta reader for my next chapter! Please help me make this ridiculous idea slightly less ridiculous! Also, reviews are always welcomed, and appreciated!**_


	2. Ruffling Some Feathers

_Well that was depressing wasn't it? No worries, things will start looking up from here. After all, what can you expect from a fic called, "The Phantom Nevermore"? Oh, and I don't own RWBY._

 **Chapter 1: Ruffling Some Feathers**

The mission was a straightforward one. Ruby liked those. Nothing complicated, just kick some bad guy butt, and grab some specialty Dust crystal that Ozpin said the White Fang needed. It was just what they needed to unwind, (ironically enough) after their last big test. It'd been one year. One year exactly since Jaune Arc, her best friend left Beacon. She tried not to think about it. She needed her mind on the mission. She was a leader, and she couldn't, wouldn't fail her team. She was too awesome to do that.

The miniature reaper caught the eye of her buxom blonde sister who gave her a cocky grin, one she returned with gusto as she polished the blade of her Crescent Rose. "You ready to have some fun, sis?" Yang Xiao Long asked cheerfully.

"Yep!" Ruby smiled back in her usually adorable way, although it was tinged with slightly more bloodlust than her surrounding teammates would have liked. They ignored it though and focused on the passing forest below that could be seen from the Bullhead's open doors. "Everyone remember what our mission parameters are?"

Blake nodded. "Infiltrate the White Fang facility outside of Forever Fall forest and secure the Azure Dust crystal."

"Yep! Bullhead will pick us up in forty-five minutes, so we have a timed mission." Ruby smiled cheerfully.

 **"We're approaching the drop off destination. Make sure you're prepared before making your way out of the craft."** The voice of the pilot over the intercom drew the attention of the team and they all gave each other a determined look before nodding and watching out the open doors as the terrain passing began to slow down, then finally stopped as they hovered in place.

Weiss unsheathed her Multi-Action Dust Rapier and jumped first, using her glyphs as stepping stones to make her way to the ground, while Blake jumped second, using Gambol Shroud to hook onto a tree branch and swinging around to land onto the thin wooden ledge. Yang fell next, simply using her massive reserves of Aura to tank the damage from landing and Ruby fell shortly behind, using the recoil from the massive gun on her own scythe to slow her decent and land safely. "Drop successful!" Ruby proclaimed happily, her silver eyes glinting in the light of the full, broken moon.

Weiss cleared her throat, glaring at Ruby. "Shush! We can't be heard!"

Ruby blushed and gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head. "S-sorry." the reaper responded in a much quieter voice.

"How far are we from the facility?" Yang queried, looking around the dark forest, her eyes scanning for any signs of life, whether they be White Fang, or Grimm looking for a meal.

Ruby thought for a moment, placing a finger on her chin before nodding, more for herself than her team. "About five minute walk. Any closer and we'd risk being attacked as soon as we dropped. Hey, Blake, since you know the facility, do you know what kind it is?"

Blake adopted her own thoughtful expression before answering. "Storage facility. More than likely it'll be a small building, no more than three or four rooms. One bigger room, an office and some side rooms that usually hold weapons and ammo. The biggest room will most likely have our target, but it'll be guarded tightly."

Ruby nodded again. "Gotcha! So all we have to do is be all sneaky like! We'll take them by surprise!"

Blake shook her head, her bow twitching. "That might not work. Remember, we Faunus have better senses. Sneaking up on a Faunus is downright difficult, if not impossible."

With a groan, Yang hung forward. "Aw, is that why I can't seem to catch a glimpse of your book whenever you're reading?"

Blake smirked. "You're loud enough to wake-" She stopped herself, and her silence hung pregnant over the woods. _Wake Jaune up from sleep._

Everyone luckily decided to ignore the awkward statement, and Blake was thankful, her cheeks burning with embarrassment and shame for having mentioned the blonde boy. His name was almost taboo now, for it brought enough depression to kill any party in Beacon.

The trek through the forest was a quiet one, Team RWBY being as stealthy as they could manage, to avoid detection from not only any possible White Fang but any possible Grimm. Eventually, the dull gray and white colors of the squat, square facility came into view from between the trees.

"Blake," Ruby began, "I need you to scout ahead and check for guards."

The cat Faunus nodded and with nary a whisper, vanished into the trees ahead. There was silence for what seemed like an eternity, with not even a cricket chirping or the sound of cicadas crying. Then, there was a soft whistle. A signal. All clear. Yang and Weiss exchanged confused looks. All clear? Shouldn't there have been at least one or two guards stationed there?

Still, the signal was clear, so the three remaining members made their way forward, only to stop in place at a strange tableau. Blake was hunched over a prone White Fang member, her fingers on his neck to check for a pulse. "Did you knock them out, Blake?" Ruby asked, frowning. She was supposed to just scout!

Blake shook her head. "No, they were down when I got here...I haven't found any wounds, but they're both still alive. Just unconscious."

Weiss frowned in concentration. "That rules out Grimm...it'd be lethal and far messier if it was. But who would simply knock out the guards without actually capturing them, or outright killing them?"

Yang grimaced. "Am I the only one here who's noticed that it's really quiet around here? Like _really_ quiet? You'd think a place like this would have at least some conversation going on, or some sounds of moving stuff...but nothing."

Blake nodded her agreement. "I noticed that too. Something's happened. Let's investigate inside, quickly." Her teammates voiced their agreements and they quickly made their way to the white door that was the entrance to the building. Slowly, Ruby pulled it open and peered inside. Her silver eyes widened and she pulled her head back, turning to her team.

"They're all knocked out!"

The rest of Team RWBY shared nervous glances. Something was wrong. Who would infiltrate a White Fang hideout, and not capture, kill or eat them? It wasn't a Grimm, it wasn't the Vale or Atlas police, or even Faunus hunters. "I wonder..." Weiss' voice whispered in the darkness of the outside. She shook her head. "Let's investigate. Perhaps whoever was responsible for this is still here."

Ruby grinned and pumped her fist. "Yep, and we can kick their butts! Or be friends with them! Or both!"

Yang gave an odd look. "Um, sis? We don't even know who this is. Why would you say we'd be friends?"

"Because they're fighting the White Fang too!"

Everyone else shrugged and with that, entered the building. As Blake had said, the room they'd stepped into was the office, as evidenced by the desk chair with an unconscious White Fang member slumped over his desk. Blake walked up to him and put her fingers on his neck. His pulse was fluttery, but it was there. Her eye caught something on his neck and with deft fingers, pulled out what looked like a small black feather, stylized in the manner of a Nevermore's pinions. "A dart?"

The rest of the team gathered around Blake and studied it, their glances becoming even more nervous. "Were those on the other two?" Weiss asked.

Blake shook her head. "No. They had no signs of outside injury or anything. We should keep going." She pocketed the odd miniature pinion and they opened the door to the back of the office, quietly.

The room was littered in bodies. Further visual inspection revealed their chests to be moving up and down, showing that they all were unconscious as well. However, it wasn't the multitude of knocked out White Fang members that caught their attention. It was a lone, solitary figure in the back, standing with his back turned to them.

His hair was as black as Blake's, and his coat was an equally dark ebony. The collar of it had feathers in it, pitch black, giving an air of style and elegance. From what they could tell, he was holding something up, and they heard him giving a small, deep chuckle.

"As the shattered moon shines in the sky,

I fly above the clouds so high;

Watch me now as I soar:-"

The figure finished his rhyme as he turned around with a flourish, his coat billowing behind him dramatically. "I am, The Phantom Nevermore."

Team RWBY was speechless. The man certainly looked...unique. His face was covered by a white and red mask, fashioned to resemble that of a Nevermore's signature countenance, revealing only his lips, which were turned up in a jovial smile. They could tell he was wearing some sort of body armor, pitch black like the rest of his ensemble and his belt held a number of pouches. At his hip, a holster with a small, black cylinder tucked into it, although it was hard to tell that exactly it was when the young man gave a low, sweeping bow.

"Wow, and here I thought _I_ was the thief...I do believe you beauties have gone and stolen my heart!" The man proclaimed, flashing a smile full of straight, white teeth.

Weiss took a step back, her face twitching in shock and confusion. Yang was grinning, almost looking like she was about to burst out in laughter, Blake had removed Gambol Shroud from its sheathe and Ruby looked beyond puzzled. "Erm...what?" The young woman asked.

"You know, I must admit, you're quite late. I had to rush in here and do all the work. You should thank me, took me the good part of an hour to clean up around here. So, in payment, I think I'll gladly just go ahead and take this lovely little gem." The man removed from his pouch, a dark blue, diamond shaped crystal and held it up.

Her eyes wide, Weiss exclaimed, "That's the Azure Dust Crystal!"

"Ooh, your eyes are as sharp as your wit, Ms. Schnee!" The man exclaimed, tossing the crystal up into the air before catching it, repeating his action as he stood, resting against a crate behind him. 

"Wha-...how do you know my name?!" Weiss held her rapier out in front of her, glaring at the figure.

"Oh, my lovely heiress, I know many things! My avian eyes see all, my ears hear whispers from all around! And the rest of the beauties behind you collectively make up Team RWBY, am I correct? Led by that adorable reaper, Ms Ruby Rose?"

Ruby blushed at the compliment even as she pulled out her scythe. "How d-do you know us?!"

The man laughed again, his inflection almost mocking in how upbeat and happy it was. "You've made quite the name for yourselves! Wiping out hundreds of Grimm, giving Cinder and her forces hell, you've all been very busy, busy students! And now that I see you with my own eyes, I must wonder if Ozpin is leading a school for Hunters, or for supermodels!"

Yang gave a sharp laugh and her grin grew. "Oh, you? I like you. Tell you what, why don't you give mama Yang that lovely jewel, and she'll take _very_ good care of you." Yang purred, winking at the man as she stepped forward, her hips swaying.

The self proclaimed ghostly avian Grimm rubbed his chin, his lips drawing into a thin line. "Ooh, tempting! A chance to have some fun with the seductive, fiery dragon herself? Mmm, that is _very_ tempting..." He went silent for a few seconds, then gave a chuckle. "Ah, I'm afraid not, It'd never work. You, who shine with the brightness of the sun above would never work with I, who fly beneath the night sky... _SO_ , I think I'll keep this for myself, if I'm to be honest."

Yang's face adopted an amused smile. "Quite the poet, aren't you?"

The man's face broke out into another grin. "Of course. If it can't be done in style, it's not worth doing at all."

"Like thieving?" Blake interjected, cocking an eyebrow.

" _Of course like thieving, my gorgeous feline friend!_ " The thief exclaimed animatedly, eliciting a hiss of surprise from the recipient's lips. "Nothing on this world can be done more stylishly than taking something that doesn't belong to you, whether it's money, jewels," The man's tone suddenly dropped into a low purr, "Or even hearts." His hand outstretched as he finished.

Blake's eyes narrowed. How could he have known that she was a Faunus? Who was he? Before she could demand an explanation though, Weiss stepped forward again, glaring at the energetic thief. "Enough of this! Give us the Crystal!"

The man thought for a moment, then smiled once more. "Or, how about this? I like games. They're awfully fun. Board games, card games, video games, I love them all! So, I'd like to wager something. I have a ride coming quite soon to pick me up, and he'll be arriving in exactly..." He pulled back a black sleeve to reveal a wristwatch. "Three minutes! If you can defeat me and capture me in that time, then yours truly, will not only give you the Crystal, but I'll even gladly give up my life of crime, and dedicate myself to protecting the innocent and all that nonsense. How about it?" His lips drew upwards into an almost wicked smirk as he finished his offer.

Ruby turned to her teammates and they all nodded, before turning back to the eccentric thief and grinning. "Three minutes? That's more than enough!"

 _ **Author's Note: We're all mad here. Some of us are just better dressed. Keep up the reviews! A special shout out to ShadowDriver for being a Beta Reader!**_


	3. Follow The Birdie

_I don't own RWBY. The Phantom Nevermore's leitmotif if you're interested is Zen Conspiracy from Mashed Buddha and you can find it (mostly) on Youtube, so if you want some music to listen to while you read, give it a shot!_

 **Chapter 2: Follow The Birdie**

No sooner had Ruby's words left her lips did Yang launch forward with a vicious straight that the team had seen take down Ursa Major before. They smiled as she did so, knowing that she'd definitely keep him on his toes at the very least, and incapacitate him if he didn't dodge.

So you can only imagine their surprise when instead of dodging, the young thief's smile only grew and with a very calm and collected air, did the impossible: Catch Yang's fist.

Yang froze, her lilac eyes widening in shock. She couldn't believe it! He'd not only caught her punch, but hadn't even flinched, or moved! In fact, when she thought about it, it felt like all the force from her blow had simply fizzled out the moment she came in contact with his hand.

"Ah-ah-ah! I didn't say go!" He taunted. "That's just cheating!" He fixed Yang with a stare, although she couldn't see his eyes behind the red tinted lenses that made up the Nevermore mask's eyes. "We begin... _now._ " With that, the thief suddenly flickered out of sight, and Yang felt a sudden breeze pick up as he reappeared further along the room. His hand shot down to his holster and withdrew the cylinder, flicking his wrist and causing it to extend into a baton. "Did you know that the Atlas military actually did some experiments on Aura and the varying Dust elements and how they interact? Interestingly enough, they found out something very interesting!"

The thief suddenly flickered out of existence again and everyone froze looking around the room. Weiss felt a gust of wind, and started to turn around, but before she could, something crashed down onto her neck, and she suddenly felt agony course through her veins, her body stiffening as she felt herself being electrocuted, her vision suddenly going dark as she pitched forward. "WEISS!" Ruby cried out in anger, rushing forward with her Scythe at the ready. The thief simply smiled, and with another gust of wind, reappeared on the other side of the room once more, flipping his baton back into his holster nonchalantly. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Ruby roared, her silver eyes narrowing.

The Phantom Nevermore put a hand to his chest in mock innocence. "I would _never_ harm such a lovely flower as her! Well, not permanently anyway. Worry not, she's simply joining the rest of the White Fang in a pleasant little nap. See, did you know that our Aura doesn't actively block out things such as electricity? Interesting, right? It turns out that if it did, we wouldn't even function! As for your friend, I simply zapped her with a non-lethal dose of electricity! It simply locked up her muscles and interrupted her body's consciousness, so she's out like a light. Give her fifteen minutes and a nice massage, and she'll be good as new!"

Blake's eyes flashed gold and narrowed. "You're such a gentleman." She quipped, sarcastically.

"I'm _so_ glad someone noticed! I was worried you wouldn't, but then again, you're a smart woman, aren't you Ms. Belladonna?" The thief chuckled lightly, and instantly ducked when Yang rushed at him once more, throwing another punch.

"Stand...still!" Yang cried, launching an unending series of jabs and hooks in an attempt to put the thief out of commission. Unfortunately for her, her assault was dodged with expert precision, the thief laughing merrily the entire time. "Now now, didn't we go over this? It didn't work the first time, so what makes you think it's going to work now?" No sooner had he spoke, then Blake entered the fray, swinging Gambol Shroud in a veritable hail of slashes that seemed to threaten to overwhelm him.

This didn't last long. Another gust of wind picked up, strong enough to blind them and the young man appeared in an instant atop a pile of boxes, sliding his sleeve up his arm to glance at his watch. "Tick-tock ladies! One minute, thirty seconds!" He singsonged, putting his hands behind his back. There was a sudden roar of thunder as Ruby pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose, firing a bullet straight into the thief's chest.

He didn't even flinch. "W-what?! I hit him dead on!" Ruby's eyes widened in shock. That had been a shot from a .50 sniper bullet! Something like that should have at the least launched him backwards, but instead he simply sat there, swinging back and forth, whistling cheerily.

"Thanks! I needed that!" He proclaimed before abruptly vanishing once more, reappearing in the rafters of all places, swinging his legs as he looked down at them. "You know, you could always admit defeat. No shame in that after all!"

Yang growled and aimed her gauntlet at the Phantom, but Blake put an arm on her shoulder and fixed her with a look. "Don't waste the ammo. He's obviously using his Semblance."

"Then how else do you propose we beat him? He took Ruby's bullet like she was firing spitwads!" Yang twitched in irritation.

"I'd suggest we use Weiss as she could hit him with dust, but he took her out first thing. Obviously he can't...do whatever it is he's doing with elemental attacks." Blake explained, glaring at the thief.

"Thirty seconds!" He singsonged. "And I must admit, you are even sharper than I imagined! Deconstructing my Semblance that quickly? I'm impressed! Ms. Belladonna, you're really capturing my heart! I don't suppose you're single?"

Blake groaned, blowing a lock of hair out from her eyes. "Sorry, I have a strict, 'No Thieves' policy in my love life."

"Oh, what a pity! And you know what else is a pity? Your time...is up." He smiled and suddenly flickered from view, reappearing on a catwalk next to a window with a flourish. "I have absolutely adored our little soiree, but I'm afraid that my time is up, and the coach is here to bring me back, so I must bid all of you adieu!"

"No!" Ruby cried out, preparing to use her own Semblance in order to stop him. Unfortunately, she was too late, for that very moment he proceeded to flip backwards out the window in a shower of glass. Outside, its propellers spinning with oddly little noise was a black Bullhead, and the Phantom Nevermore landed perfectly into its bay doors, saluting.

"Adieu, my lovely angels! Ta-ta for now!" The Bullhead began to move away as Ruby rushed up the stairs to the catwalk, throwing Crescent Rose down like a tripod and firing away at the Bullhead. Unfortunately, the massive hovering craft was unaffected by the shots and soon had made its way into the distance, causing Ruby to give up with a whimper and a groan.

Blake sighed and shook her head. "Great. We failed. This is going on our record..."

Yang groaned. "You've got to be kidding me! He can freaking teleport around, block sniper shots and has his own Bullhead to escape in?! Who the hell is this guy? Why the hell is he acting like he knows us?! And why the hell wouldn't he accept my deal?!" Yang's partner simply fixed her with an irritated glower at the last statement and shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Let...let's just grab Weiss and get to the extraction point before anyone wakes up..."

 **[Next Day - Beacon Academy - Cafeteria]**

The cafeteria was busy, as it usually was during lunch time. The din and clamor of the students all around made it hard for anyone to have a soft conversation and be heard. It was here that Team RWBY and the remaining three members of Team JNPR could be found, casually eating lunch as Ruby heatedly explained the story of their first failed mission.

"So Ozpin said that he wasn't putting it in our records since there was no idea that someone like that was going to show up. He said he hadn't heard about anyone like that since twenty years ago with some guy who called himself, the Shadow Ursa." Ruby poked at her lasagna morosely. "I can't believe we got our butts kicked that hard though!"

Weiss harrumphed and crossed her arms angrily. "At least you didn't get knocked out three seconds into the fight! Why was I the only one knocked out?!"

Blake took a bite of her tuna sandwich and swallowed. "I'm going to assume that his Semblance doesn't protect him from Dust based attacks, and he must have known that you use such things. You were the only threat to him and he removed you before he was in any danger." This seemed to assuage the heiress as she uncrossed her arm and nodded, almost looking smug.

"Well, obviously. He gauged our strengths and realizing that I was the most skilled, had to remove me before anything could occur. However, should we ever meet again..." Her eyes narrowed as she stabbed her own lunch viciously. "I shall pay him back tenfold for my humiliation."

"Ooh! I should become a Phantom Thief too!" A voice exclaimed from further down the table, one belonging to one Nora Valkyrie. "I'd be...the Sneaky Sloth!"

Her partner simply shook his head and gave a wry smile. "Nora, I don't think Sloths carry the same mystique and danger as a Nevermore."

"But that's what they want you to think! Then...they spring out and attack you!" Nora proclaimed, pouncing on her own food with gusto. "Right, Pyrrah?"

Sitting next to her, lost in thought as always, was one Pyrrah Nikos. Much had changed with her since the disappearance of her friend and partner. First and foremost, she'd taken to wearing Jaune's hoodie with her almost always, making it as much a trademark of hers as it was of his, her own bronze armor over it like Jaune used to wear his armor over it. Weakly, she glanced up, and forced a smile onto her face. "Oh, um...what were you talking about?"

Ruby sighed and groaned. "We were talking about the Phantom Nevermore! That thief who stole the Azure Dust Crystal!"

Ren stepped in, trying to calm things down as he always did. "It's fine, what matters is that everyone is safe. The only thing that was damaged was your egos."

Blake fixed her partner with a smirk and replied, "Some of ours more than others."

Yang crossed her own arms this time and gave a pout. "Here he was, flirting with us, and didn't even have the common decency to give me his number!" She glanced over and Pyrrah, who was morosely poking at her food and her expression softened. "So what have you been up to P-money?"

Pyrrah looked up, still smiling weakly. "The usual. Training, classes, homework."

With a look of concentration, Yang snapped her fingers. "We need to get you out more often! There's a bar in Vale I love with some of the _best_ drinks I've-"

The Spartan interrupted the buxom brawler with a wave of her hand and a shake of her head. "No thank you. I'm quite fine, thanks." Her gaze returned to her food, silent. It was a silence that was shared by the rest of the table soon enough as everyone suddenly felt down. It wasn't her fault, but the unspoken mention of their blonde blunder of a companion never failed to bring them down.

After a few moments, Ren spoke up, standing to his feet. "We...we should go. Classes start soon."

 _ **Author's Note: Okay, I know, the "Phantom Nevermore" is a bit on the broken side, but trust me, I have some interesting plans for our mysterious friend. As Blake had pointed out, his Semblance doesn't work on Dust based attacks, so there's that. In addition, this is (despite some depressing scenes) a comedy fic. Mostly. So I'd like to think I can get away with some over the top stuff. Don't worry though, he's FAR from invincible. (Cue maniacal laughter and cheesy lightning effects.) I wanted to give J- er, the Phantom Nevermore some victories under his belt to make him a credible 'foe.' And let's be honest. It'd be pretty boring if he lost so early on. :)**_

 _ **Oh, and please, review!**_


	4. It's Hard To Eat Ice Cream With A Beak

_I do not own RWBY. In other news, I'm surprised by the lack of Yandere Pyrrah on . One would assume someone would get around to it eventually for an idea. Also, anything in brackets is Neo Speech, which means only Roman can understand her._

 **Chapter 3: It's Hard To Eat Ice Cream With A Beak (Pt. 1)**

"...And so I back flipped out the window, landed right in the Bullhead bay doors and...well, you know the rest."

If one was to glance into the window of a very expensive apartment complex in Vale, they'd see a pair of blonde figures chatting with one another. One, the younger, was wearing a long black coat, with the collar festooned with pitch black pinions. The other, an older looking, but classy looking blonde man with a soul patch and a pair of thin spectacles, a glass of something brown in his hand.

The older one went silent and adopted a thoughtful expression, taking a sip of his drink. He was reclined on what looked like a brand new black leather recliner. In fact, the entire apartment looked to be brand new. New television, new chairs, new couch, new coffee table...the place looked extremely luxurious. The younger blonde scratched the back of his neck, his blue eyes darting about nervously as he awaited the judgment of the elder.

Finally, the older blonde spoke, his voice low. "Jaune...that...was... _flawless_!" The older blond animatedly jumped to his feet, his face breaking out into a wide grin, gesturing wildly and threatening to spill his drink onto the hardwood beneath them. "That was...I mean...with the rhyme...and the pinion darts...it-you-I..." He sank back into his seat, his face in an expression of pure delight and excitement.

"F-flawless?!" The younger blonde, one Jaune Arc, exclaimed.

"Yes! Incredible! Stupendous! I'd have been happy if you'd managed to get away without being caught, but here you are, pulling a heist like a seasoned pro! You even let some of the White Fang see you so they can spread your name! Genius! Brilliant!"

Jaune nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head as his cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. "Come on, Uncle Thaddeus...I didn't think I did _that_ well."

Thaddeus shook his head and put down his drink, clasping his nephew on his shoulders, his own gray eyes sparkling with life. "Jaune, you seriously did incredible. Your style, your persona, your combat, all of it was done perfectly. I could not have done it better myself, and you did that all on your very first heist...I told you before, you have exactly what it takes to become the next big Phantom Thief!"

"Thanks uncle, but to be fair, the combat was honestly a stroke of great luck. If Yang hadn't opened up like she did, it might have gone extremely differently." Jaune replied, with a light sigh.

The older blond threw his head back with a laugh and shook his head. "Jaune, Jaune, Jaune. You'll soon find out that at least fifty percent of being a good Phantom Thief is luck. Plain and simple. And before you say you're lacking in that, you found me at the lowest point in your life, right? I'd like to think that is some pretty damn kicking luck, if I should say so myself."

Jaune smiled at his uncle and nodded. "Maybe you're right."

"Ha ha! Of course I am! Now, I say we celebrate your rousing success!" The man grabbed his drink and shuffled to the kitchen, which was adjoined to the living room, taking out another glass from a cabinet. He ducked down below a marble topped island and popped back up, an amber decanter in his hands. "2007, Triple Oak Barreled Atlasian Whiskey! The best that Lien can buy!"

Shaking his head and laughing, Jaune walked up to his uncle as the older man poured a measure of the dark liquid into each glass. "Encouraging me to drink now are we? I already smoke, you know."

"Nonsense! Smoking is used for relaxation; drinking for celebration!" The older man raised his own glass into the air, and with all the pomp and circumstance of a speaker at a fancy diner, proclaimed, "To the Phantom Nevermore! May he continue to make men jealous, women swoon and children dream!"

Jaune laughed and held his own glass up high. "To the Phantom Nevermore! May his name live on in history! Or at least infamy anyway." With that, the two blondes clinked glasses and downed the liquid. Unused to drinking, Jaune felt the liquid burn the way down and caused him to go into a fit of sputtering coughs and hacks. "Bleh! Is this turpentine?!"

His uncle simply laughed as he savored his own drink. "It's an acquired taste, I'll give you that much. It grows on you!"

Jaune held out his glass out in front of him, his face screwed up in disgust. "Yeah, like a rash."

"Heh, alright, you don't have to drink anymore if you don't want to. You might like a nice cocktail though. Something mixed. Maybe rum and soda?" His uncle scratched his soul patch, as he usually did when deep in thought. After a few seconds though, he shook his head and fixed his nephew another mischievous grin. "We have to set up another heist. Something bigger, something magnificent! I have complete and total faith you can pull it off smelling like roses- no! Smelling better than roses!"

"Give me a little break? I'd like to actually recuperate from last heist, thank you very much." Jaune walked back into the living room and sunk into the couch with a groan, running a hand through his usually messy blond hair.

"Of course, of course! Actually, I had an idea you'll love; you won't go on heists...except during full moons! It's perfect! Yesterday was a full moon, and there will be another full moon in a week! It even goes along with your introductory rhyme!" His uncle finished his drink and wriggled his eyebrows.

"Full moon, eh? I like it. Classy. Adds a touch of mystique. Should'a thought of it myself." Jaune replied, scratching his own chin in thought. "You'll set everything up?"

His uncle nodded affirmatively. "We'll keep going for the Dust Crystals. That way you can keep hitting White Fang hideouts. Not exactly my style of thieving, but thieving from thieves is entertaining in its own right, so I suppose I can't complain." His uncle poured himself some more whiskey and added fresh ice from a pull out icebox in the island. "You all set up on equipment?"

Jaune scratched his chin again and shook his head. "Now that I think about it, I used up the last of my Verdant No. 6 Dust on Weiss during that last heist, so I'm going to need to get more."

Thaddeus gave a strange look as he sipped on his alcohol. "Hm, this might be an issue. My usual Dust supplier has gone off the market and I haven't heard from him in a few weeks."

With an airy tone, Jaune spoke up from the couch with, "Actually, I might know a guy. He's...not exactly legit, but for the right amount of Lien, I'm sure he can supply me with what I need. Best of all, he's local." There was silence and Jaune sat up, looking at his uncle who was looking like he was about to tear up. "T-Thaddeus? What's wrong?"

 _sniff_ "Sorry, just...so proud...my nephew has his own underground contacts..." His uncle wiped away a fake tear and shook his head. "They grow up so fast..."

With a groan, Jaune grabbed a couch pillow and tossed it at his uncle's head. "Oh shut up. I'll grab the Dust tomorrow if you can set up the info for the next heist."

Thaddeus grinned and gave his nephew a thumbs up. "Gotcha! I'll even set you up some Lien tonight so you can walk in tomorrow professionally. You remember how I said to conduct business with underground types, right?"

Jaune nodded. "Be polite, be professional, and be prepared to make a scene. Don't be afraid to look them in the eye and make sure they know that you have the Lien, you make the rules."

"Exactly. Knock a couple of heads together if you need to, but don't go around causing fights. Just finish them." His uncle finished his third glass of whiskey for the evening and stretched. "It's getting late. Let me set up the Lien for tomorrow while you take a load off. And Jaune?"

"Yeah uncle?"

"I'm serious. Great job. You seriously did incredible out there. The Azure Dust Crystal will have us rolling in serious Lien for months." His uncle approached him and ruffled his hair affectionately, earning a brilliant grin from the younger blond.

"Thanks uncle. I think for now I'm going to settle down with a nice book and head to bed. I need something to calm the nerves." Jaune got up and started to wander off to another room when he heard his uncle call out from behind him.

"Please don't tell me you're reading more of that smut..."

Jaune whirled around, waggling his index finger. "Hey! _Ninjas in Love_ is a work of art! It is _not_ smut!"

The groan from his uncle as he entered his room was all he needed to hear for an answer.

 **[Elsewhere]**

 _AT-CHOO!_ Blake Belladonna sneezed violently, startling her roommates who'd all settled down for the night.

"Oh dear, don't tell me you're getting allergic to yourself, Blake!" Yang teased from her top bunk.

Blake ignored the statement and looked around, her eyes narrowed. "Someone...somewhere...just agreed with me about _Ninjas in Love…_ I just know it!~"

 **[The Next Morning]**

If there was one thing Jaune appreciated about his current living conditions, it was the fact that waking up was almost never a dull thing. His bedroom was situated in a perfect position and the right height to gaze out over Downtown Vale as soon as he awoke, and let him gaze upon the night life when he was about to go to bed. With a yawn, the young blond slowly pulled himself out of bed and stretched.

His day started off as per usual, that is to say, his daily morning stretches. He had to stay limber after all; being a Phantom Thief required such things. After he finished that, (feeling more awake) he made his way to the bathroom and stood before the bathroom mirror, staring at himself. Not much had changed appearance-wise since he left Beacon, that was for sure. Oh, he'd toned himself, letting the muscles he had previously now show with more definition, but his physical structure and facial features were pretty much spot on. The only thing he could show for outward growth was stubble that grew every so often on his face.

 _Alright Jaune, let's do this. We can do this. We're just going to contact Roman, hand him a nice briefcase full of Lien and tell him that he needs to give me some Verdant No. 6. No need to be worried or afraid. Just because he's a gangster who works for Cinder is nothing to be worried about. He's nothing more than a thug in a suit. You, you're the Phantom Nevermore! You who laugh in the face of danger, have nothing to fear from some two bit burglar with some extra Lien!_ Jaune gave himself a pep talk as he washed his face and brushed his teeth, fixing his own reflection with a determined and steely gaze. It had become a morning ritual his uncle had insisted he do; start his morning with something positive.

His training with his uncle had been...well, to say it had been harsh would have been a gross understatement. He was fairly certain that nothing Beacon would have thrown at him could have compared to the nonstop action and lessons his uncle had crammed into his head over the past ten months. It had only been the last two that he'd backed off, saying that he'd learned all he could without having some real experience under his belt.

Through it all though, his uncle was...encouraging. Every agonizing push-up, every sit up, every run through each obstacle course was followed with a shout of something positive. _"You can do it! You've got what it takes Jaune, I know you do! Just break on through to the other side of this!"_ And with enough time with it, Jaune began to slowly believe it. His uncle had given him something more than just training, than just the ability to fight and escape and steal.

His uncle had given him confidence.

Not a lot, but a little. Enough to make a difference. Enough for him to be able to look at himself in the mirror and not flinch or look away. Enough to push on with his life in spite of all the things he'd been through. Enough to not regret every waking moment since having ran from Beacon. Enough to realize that he wasn't a coward.

Jaune splashed some water onto his face and took one more look in the mirror at his own steely gaze. _I'm not a coward. I just wasn't ready. I overestimated my abilities and someone paid for it. My friends...paid for it._ He shook his head and turned away from the mirror. _No. No regrets. This is your path, as your uncle said. So look to it with pride. You can do this. You are the Phantom Nevermore, and not even Beacon students can stop you._

Jaune pumped his fist as he walked out into the living room. It was quiet, empty. His uncle must have already left, but a metal briefcase on the coffee table told him all he needed to know. Putting in his uncle's usual code into the briefcase locks, Jaune popped the locks and gazed at the Lien stacked neatly within, grinning widely. This would be more than enough. It was time to go shopping.

 **[The Cuppa']**

The Cuppa' was a small coffee shop five blocks away from his uncle's Valeian safe-house and one that Jaune had been to before. Long, long ago when he was a fresh faced young man who so desperately wanted to get into Beacon that he was willing to go so far as to buy forged transcripts just to make it in. He hoped the usual menu order was the same in order to meet up with the criminal who made the shop his home. Jaune hadn't bothered to change into his avian persona, figuring that he had no chance of meeting any Beacon students as it was a Tuesday, and classes were in full swing.

The shop was empty, which was to Jaune's advantage and relief. The only living soul besides himself was an older, balding man who ran the register, looking almost relieved for a break in his tedium. "Hey there! What can I get you young man?"

Jaune approached the older man and with practiced air, replied, "I'd like a Pumpkin Spice Firecracker."

Silence, then; "You'll have to ask the downstairs barrista." The older man replied, pointing a thumb to a door at the back. Jaune nodded and followed his directions, finding himself walking down some stairs into a basement looking area. It was a small room, with nothing more than an old green, threadbare couch, an older model television and a refrigerator with some coffee filters sitting atop it.

Sitting on the threadbare couch however, was his contact. Cream suit and bowler hat as impeccably worn as they usually were, was Roman Torchwick. The older man shot Jaune a look as he approached and rolled his eyes. "Oh jeeze, not more kids. I don't have time to baby-"

Jaune cut him off by slamming his briefcase atop the coffee table that was stained with various colored stains, most of which Jaune did not want to know who they belonged to. "Before you start with the whole, 'You're a kid and I have no business with you,' angle, I'd suggest you let me talk first. I work for an independent organization who is currently in the market for some rare and expensive dust, and Lien is no issue." Before Roman could respond, Jaune flipped the briefcase top upwards, and spun it around to show the thief the stacked money.

"You..I..." Roman swallowed hard before looking up at Jaune with a grin. "You've got my full and undivided attention. You name it, and I'll have it for you in two shakes of Beowolve's tail."

Jaune grinned. "Professional. I like it. I'll make this quick. I need four vials of Verdant No. 6. If you can get those to me by tonight, I'll give you the whole case."

Roman's eyes widened even further than before and he almost recoiled in shock. "T-the whole thing?" That would be one and a half times the actual value of the vials themselves if he'd seen the Lien correctly!

Jaune nodded sagely. "The people I work for are very busy and this _is_ a rush job. I've heard you're one of the best in the business, and so I've decided to sweeten any future deals between us with a bit of extra motivation."

This got Roman to laughing, hard. "Kid, you've got some freakin' balls, but I love ya! Respectful, tough, willing to spend a little to get a little...kid, if my men had half the gumption you had, I'd have taken over Vale by this point! Alright, alright. You got yourself a deal. Half up front, half on completion?"

Jaune nodded again. "Sounds fair. I can come back later on-" Jaune stopped in mid sentence when something...appeared. Literally appeared. It wasn't there one moment, and then, it was. It was a young girl, shorter than he was, with lovely pink and brown hair, and upon further inspection, multi-colored eyes of the same color. She was admittedly lovely herself, with curves in all the right places and a pair of legs that Jaune had to force his gaze away from, lest he be caught and embarrassed. Or worse.

 _Who the hell is she? How'd she do that?! She can teleport! I mean, my Semblance lets me move faster once I absorb enough energy, but that...that's just broken!_ Jaune's mind raced as he watched the cute petite girl fixing Roman with a glare, twirling a lacy pink parasol almost threateningly.

[Where's my ice cream?!]

"Damn it Neo, I'm in the middle of a business deal!" Roman yelled at her, fixing her back with a glare. "I don't have time for this!"

[Your business can wait, Roman! I want my damn ice cream!]

"Can't it wait Neo? I'm about to make some serious dough with a very polite and respectful young man here!" Roman pointed to Jaune who sat confused, his face contorted in confusion. _She's talking? I can't hear say a word! She's not even moving her lips!_

[Oh who cares about some ass kissing piece of-] Neo turned to Jaune, rolling her eyes as she did so...and stopped. Slowly, her eyes widened as far as they could go, and her hands went slack, dropping the parasol she had been carrying. [...Oh. My. Oum... _he's gorgeous_! Those sapphire eyes! That sun-kissed blond hair! Those soft lips! Oh Monty, take me now!]

Roman's jaw went slack and his eyes practically bulged out of his head. "Neo, what the absolute hell are you going on about? You can't be talking about him! You insane little imp, have some taste for Dust's sake!"

Neo turned around, her face turning ugly as she glared up at him. [Imp! IMP?! I'll have your damn balls for this!]

Jaune should have stayed silent. He should have never said a word. But his training kicked in, and he couldn't help himself. "Er...I think petite would be a better term, would you?"

Neo turned around again, her eyes wide for a few moments before fixing him with a saccharine sweet smile, then turning around to glare at Roman again. [Exactly! Petite! Petite! Don't you dare forget it, you moron! Actually...you said he's here on business?]

Roman's right eye twitched and he nodded slowly. "Er...yes...for Verdant No. 6."

Neo's face took on a devilish smile and she snapped her fingers. [Excellent. Tell that beautiful blonde Adonis he can have it for free if he goes out on a date with me.]

The criminal groaned and looked between the pint-size powerhouse and the young blond man before throwing his hands up. "You've got to be kidding me...do you know how much Lien he's offering me?!"

[Like I care? I want him, _NOW_!]

"What is wrong with you Neo? You've never acted like this way towards anyone else before!"

[If you don't get me a date with him in the next thirty damn seconds, you can rot in prison next time you're caught! Better yet, I'll simply kill you myself!] Neo was glaring daggers at Roman by this point, who's face appeared to spontaneously drain in color from Jaune's increasingly confused perspective.

"I-I...okay, okay, fine. I'll..." Roman gave a look like he was about to be violently ill. "I'll tell him." He turned to Jaune who looked like he'd just watched an impromptu modern art act and drew his lips into a thin line. "I've been…recently informed by my... _petite_ associate that you are being offered the Dust for free if you..." He sighed and turned to Neo. "Do I have to do this?!"

[That depends. How attached are you to your own intestines? Say on a scale of one to ten?]

Roman sighed dejectedly and waved his hand in circles in front of him. "You can have the Dust for free if you take Neo here out on a date." The cute girl in question whirled around on one foot and fixed Jaune with a blissful and dreamy smile, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Jaune could only respond by giving the flattest, "What," that had ever been uttered on Remnant.

 _ **Author's Note: Oh dear, Jaune is in trouble now! Our adorable psychopath has her multicolored gaze set on him! How will he get out of this one? What plans does our ice-cream loving criminal have in store for our Phantom Thief? Why didn't RWBY get that many lines this chapter? Why does Jaune want the shinies? All this and more, same Nevermore Time, Same Nevermore Channel!**_

 _ **And keep the reviews flowing!**_


	5. Hard To Eat Ice Cream (Pt2)

_Hey there, I don't own RWBY. As a word of warning, if anyone here is looking for a nice, slow paced, serious Neo x Jaune Romance...well, I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. This is played for laughs; this is a (mostly) funny fic! Shout out to my fellow Tropers (Tv Tropes will ruin your life) and a special shout out to Benthino for making my day with his Awesome Alliterative Appeal!_

 **Chapter 4: It's Hard To Eat Ice Cream With A Beak (Pt. 2)**

 _How on Remnant did I end up here?_ This was the question running through Jaune Arc's mind as he sat in a corner booth of the little cafe he'd been conducting business in. Sitting across from him, scarfing down Neapolitan ice cream, a young beauty sat, pausing every so often to throw him a smile. Jaune of course would smile back, nervously, wondering just what on Remnant to say to her. _Why am I on a date with her? I should be back at the safe house! Well, at least she's cute...when she doesn't look like she's about to murder someone. What do I say? I should ask her name, first of all. Neo doesn't exactly sound like a real name._

"S-so...um...what's your name?" Jaune stammered out, trying to coalesce his thoughts.

The young woman stopped in mid bite, her eyes going wide before she smacked herself in the forehead, her eyes wide. Jaune watched as she pulled out a scroll from...somewhere and began typing rapidly on it before practically shoving it in his face. _"Neopolitan! Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, dear."_

Jaune blinked. "Er...isn't that misspelled?" Neo shook her head with another smile. "Gotcha...I'll...I'll just call you Neo then, if you don't mind." She nodded her approval and went back to eating her sixth bowl of ice cream. Feeling awkward, Jaune tried to find something to chat about. "So...um...how do you know Roman?"

The young woman stopped again and gave a wry look, rolling her eyes. She typed something out on her scroll once more, showing it to him. _"Oh that ass in a hat? We have a common boss, that's all. There's nothing between us, I swear! I'm totally 100% single!"_

"R-right..." Jaune grimaced inwardly. "Um..." Silence fell over them once more. Jaune sighed and put his head in his hand. "L-listen, I'm not very good at this sort of thing. I haven't really had much luck with women in the past and going on dates was pretty much an impossibility for me. My old man told me all women wanted was confidence, but I've learned he was completely and irredeemably full of nonsense and over the last year I've been spending all my time cooped up when I'm not being run through obstacle courses and-" Jaune stopped. "Oh jeeze I'm rambling. I do that from time to time when I'm nervous, so seriously? Feel free to shut me up when I do so."

Neo's smile grew wider and she typed her response quickly. _"Do I get to shut you up with a kiss?"_

Jaune began to sputter, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I...er...s-suppose so?" Silence fell once more and Jaune sighed. This was the most confusing situation he'd ever found himself in. He had to talk about something! "So, um, Neo, what do you like-" Jaune's speech was suddenly interrupted when Neo practically leaned over the table, grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him in, pushing her own lips against his. If his mouth wasn't so preoccupied, his jaw would have fallen to the floor. All he could do was let her work her magic as she slipped her tongue into his mouth and proceeded to give him a very thorough dental exam. By the time she had finished, Jaune was breathless and any train of thought he might have had was violently derailed, the survivors shot and the tracks themselves ripped up and melted down for scrap metal.

Neo of course simply sat back in her seat, finishing up her other sweet treat, fixing Jaune with a sultry smile. _Okay, apparently I don't get to talk. Damn though...that was a hell of a kiss...for first one, I don't think I can complain!_ Jaune sat silently as he let the young woman attack her ice cream with aplomb, occasionally glancing out the window to gaze at the citizens passing by.

After a few moments, Neo stopped and typed something out on her scroll. _"I was just playing cutie, talk as much as you want!"_

Jaune chuckled. "To be fair, it's not like I didn't enjoy that-" His speech was once again interrupted as Neo leaned over the table once more and grabbed him in another searing kiss that left him breathless. His brain unable to handle the repeated affectionate gestures practically short circuited and left him doing a very good impression of a goldfish.

Neo's only response was to laugh silently, looking very pleased with herself. She finished her bowl and put her spoon next to it before tilting her head at him curiously. Jaune didn't need her to translate what she was asking. _Now what?_

"W-well..." Jaune started, waiting for her to attack him once more, but she seemed more interested in their plans for the day. "We...we could always hit a movie. A little cliche, sure, but I figure it could be fun..."

Neo jumped to her feet and nodded happily. A scroll text later responded with, _"Sounds wonderful!"_

Jaune's smile grew more confident and he joined Neo, extending an arm for her to hold onto, which she took quite eagerly, practically nuzzling his arm with her face as she did so. _Huh. Maybe this won't be so bad. She's certainly...sweet. Affectionate. Just because she works with Roman doesn't mean she's that bad. Hey, this might actually be pretty enjoyable!_

 **[Later That Night]**

By the time Jaune found himself walking back to the Cuppa', he was already regretting everything. He was exhausted, drained and beat. Neo had drained him of any energy and will he had left and all he wanted to do was drag his carcass back to the safehouse and dump himself into bed. The day had been...hectic.

His first mistake was going to the movies. By the time they'd found themselves in front of the cinema, Jaune was already taking back his previous words. Neo had glared a horrific death glare at any passing females, causing them to go pale and back off, obviously terrified of the pint-sized girl. When they went to buy their tickets, (Jaune had decided to pick the movie) they found out that the tickets to the showing were sold out. Jaune didn't really mind, but Neo looked positively murderous and Jaune had to intervene before she decided to impale the poor ticket booth operator with her parasol.

He simply decided to allow the young woman to pick the feature instead, which she immediately did a 180 and was all smiles and giggles once more. The movie she'd picked out filled him with dread; he'd heard reviews about the slasher movie she'd chosen and about how utterly horrible the actors, effects and story was. He was a gentleman though, so he swallowed his pride and tried to make the best of it. Something told him it wasn't surprising that Neo had picked some overly violent shlock.

The entire theater was empty. No one else was watching that showing except them; not even an usher had stepped in, although Jaune figured that was due to one of her patented death glares. This, as it turned out, was planned out. Not fifteen minutes into the cheesy F-rated movie and Neo had suddenly climbed into his lap, threw her arms around his neck and proceeded to start making out with him eagerly. Being a male with little to no dating experience, Jaune was at first thrilled. She certainly knew how to kiss and Jaune couldn't help but respond in kind.

Then she started getting...handsy. The blonde spent the last half an hour of the movie attempting to fight Neo's hands from going any further south than his belt and by the time the credits had rolled around, Jaune was already starting to feel tired. He did feel a little bad as the multi-colored ice cream lover looked disappointed when they left, but when he mentioned an idea of going to see an aquarium in town, her face jumped right back to her joyful expression and locked arms with him again.

Jaune's mounting fatigue only increased when they had arrived at the aquarium. He had spent the entire time there trying to prevent Neo from going off on random strangers for...something. He couldn't tell why, but evidence was pointing to her getting quite upset when anyone so much as looked at him, and when she wasn't threatening random strangers with death and pain, she was busy trying to take over where they'd left off in the movie theater. In public.

Luckily the blonde managed to settle her ardor by lifting her up and letting her ravage his mouth once again for the entire time they were there, hiding between a couple of large tanks where no one was watching. Still, by the time they left, Neo hopping excitedly around and looking like her birthday and Christmas had come all at once, Jaune staggered out, swearing off of Neapolitan ice cream for the rest of his days. _It's fine, it's fine. Just...survive today. That's all. You'll get your damned dust and you can go hide out in the safehouse for the entire week until you go on your next heist. I swear, I really hope Thaddeus found a good heist._

His stomach growling, Jaune decided that their last stop would be a nice little pasta place he'd heard about but had never had the chance to try. At the very least, he could give the girl a nice dinner before he vanished and (hopefully) never had to deal with her again. Her switches between violent wrath and overwhelming affection were taking its toll on him, and unfortunately for him, the night wasn't over.

Between Neo making their poor waitress _very_ uncomfortable, trying to play footsie with him under the table (and her foot going a bit higher than he was comfortable with) and Neo's insistence on making sure the place had carried Neapolitan ice cream (and thank Dust they did!), Jaune was really wondering if the dust was really worth the hassle. Still, the day was getting late, and he'd be able to head back to the Cuppa' in order to grab his dust and never again have to gaze upon the color combination of pink, brown and white ever again.

The shop was empty when they arrived, save for the man who had ran the counter earlier who simply took one look at Jaune and grunted, tilting his head towards the room where Roman lay. Jaune looked down at the young woman attached to his arm who was still smiling dreamily and inwardly sighed. _I think I might need a smoke and a drink when this is done._ They descended down the stairs and found themselves in the small room once more with Roman sitting back on the couch, a bottle of something in his hand.

"Tch, so ho was your day?" Roman practically spat at Neo.

[Oh you blithering moron, it was _magical_. He was every bit the perfect gentleman...I was in heaven…] Neo gushed in her silent voice. Roman simply rolled his eyes, took a swig of the bottle and fixed Jaune with an expression that the blonde was pretty certain mirrored his.

"You have my condolences, kid. I got the dust for you by the way..." There was a silence that hung low after he finished, obviously not happy with having to give away the expensive dust. With a wave of his hand, he motioned to a small attache case on the table, which Jaune opened up to find the four vials of the high quality green dust.

"You have my sincerest thanks, Roman. This is perfect." Jaune smiled and placed his own suitcase onto the table, turning on his heel to walk away.

[Wait, what?! I told you to give him the dust for free!] Neo snapped at him, her eyes narrowing.

Roman recoiled and waved his hands in front of his face. "I didn't tell him anything! Kid, why are you-"

Jaune cut Roman off. "We are business partners, yes? Far be it from me to leave you with nothing for your troubles. I'd like to think of this as...a token of my appreciation for your willingness to conduct business with me despite my age as well as your expedience. I'm giving him the Lien anyway, Neo."

Neo's eyes widened and she turned to Roman. [You are VERY lucky he's a sweetheart!]

Roman laughed heartily, smiling widely at Jaune. "Are you kidding me?! This kid is something else! Listen, kid? If that business of yours ever falls through, you come right here and I'll set you up with a nice, cush job, mark my words."

[Oh Monty in heaven, I can't even bear to be away from him! He's so kind and generous and handsome and a wonderful kisser and-] Neo proceeded to gush, putting her hands to her face in a way that made Jaune feel _very_ uncomfortable. [That's it. I'm kidnapping him. I'm taking him back with me and I'm bringing him to my bedroom and we're going to-]

Roman groaned. "Are you serious Neo? That's a terrible idea! Besides, the kid's got places to be, if you haven't realized!" The older thief gave Jaune an off-hand look as though telling him to play along.

Neo started to 'speak' but there was a buzz and the petite girl pulled out her scroll before giving a pout. [Nooo! Stupid Cinder and her stupid meetings! I was going to have fun with my lovely Jaune! Whyyyyy!?]

Breathing a sigh of relief, Roman waved his hand nonchalantly. "Might want to get going then. Don't want to keep her waiting, do you?"

[Shut up you!] Neo gave a dejected, silent sigh. [It's okay, we're fated to be together after all. I can wait a little bit.] She walked up to Jaune, who once again was confused by the one sided conversation he had been witness to. The young woman suddenly grabbed him and gave him one last searing kiss that once again left him breathless and his brain full of static. When she finally separated from him reluctantly, she stepped back and typed out something on her scroll. _"Do you like ice cream?"_

Jaune cocked his head to the side and shook the cobwebs from his mind. "Er...yes?"

Neo's smile grew lascivious as she typed something new on her scroll. _"Excellent! Maybe next time we meet, I'll let you lick some off of my-"_

Jaune stumbled back, clutching his nose as he desperately attempted to stem back a massive nosebleed from the lewd parting comment the ice-cream lover had sent him. _What the hell?! Perverted little imp! I am SO done!_ The young woman vanished in an instant, leaving only Jaune and Roman standing beside each other.

"So..." Roman started.

"That was a thing." Jaune finished, wiping his trickling nose off on his sleeve.

"Indeed it was..." Silence fell between the two, and a strange understanding of the other was born. It was, however, short lived. Jaune shrugged and shook his head, turning away to the door.

"Have a good evening."

"You as well."

 **[Casa de Arc]**

As soon as Jaune entered the safehouse apartment, he shut the door behind him and slumped against the door, sliding down to the floor with a groan. "Long day?" the voice of his uncle reached his ears and Jaune looked up to see Thaddeus in the kitchen, wearing the apron that Jaune had got him for his birthday with 'F—k the Chef' written on it. Jaune could smell something akin to sausage wafting around the room, but he was still full from the disastrous dinner date.

"Heh...you could say that." Jaune got to his feet with another groan and shuffled to the couch, throwing himself onto it. "Got the dust though, so there's that."

"Excellent! Your contact still in business?" Thaddeus pulled down a plate and served himself some of the food before walking over to join Jaune in the living area in his usual recliner chair.

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine with him. I even let him have the rest of the case as extra motivation to work with me in the future." Jaune explained, running a hand through his hair.

"Excellent. I included something like that in our budget. So what's got you down?"

Jaune shook his head. "Don't really wanna talk about it. Needless to say, I'm going to lay low for a bit."

Thaddeus simply shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"Please tell me your day went better than mine." Jaune tilted his head up to get a view of his uncle upside down.

"Oh, indeed! Your next heist awaits."

Jaune leaped to his feet and grinned, the fatigue in his body leaving him in an instant. "Where is it? What's the target? How many people should I expect?!"

Thaddeus laughed and waved his hand. "Calm down, calm down. Unfortunately it's not as big as I'd like it to be, so you'll still be relatively unknown. However, it's for another Dust Crystal. There's a White Fang storage facility about twelve miles or so outside of South Vale. The Verdant Leaf is the name of it."

"Wait, Verdant?"

Jaune's uncle smiled wider. "Yep. No more buying batteries for your Stun Rod."

Jaune pumped his fist. "Finally! I can't wait!"

"One week. For now, I suggest you rest, relax and try to enjoy yourself. I can give you some aerial maps of the place in a couple of days for you to study, but I'd suggest working on some strategies. If it goes anything like last time, you're gonna waltz out of there like it was a training exersice. I just know it."

"Understood, uncle! This is going to be incredible!" Jaune was practically jumping for joy at the concept of another heist so soon. "I'm gonna try and get some sleep right now though. Gotta calm down."

"Want some dessert?"

Jaune shrugged. "Sure, I could go for something sweet. What'cha got?"

"Oh, I picked up some Neapolitan ice cream on the way back."

"..."

"Jaune? Why are you twitching?"

 _ **Author's Note: Sorry about the delay in chapters! Life happened and unfortunately yours truly had to deal with a dastardly traffic ticket! But here's the next chapter for your eyes to feast upon! I should make it clear that this is NOT going to be the last we see of Neo, but she'll be out of the spotlight for a bit while we make room for Team (J)NPR and Team RWBY. For those of you who'd like to know more about Jaune's Semblance, the next heist should shine some more light upon it as well as it's strengths and weaknesses.**_

 _ **Please keep reviewing!**_


	6. Bird Watching Club

_I do not own RWBY!_

 **Chapter 5: Bird Watching Club**

 _ **[Beacon Academy – Headmaster's Office]**_

"...And I believe that will be all the transfer paperwork that you'll need to complete. That being said, let me be the first to officially welcome you to Beacon Academy, Mr. Wukong." Ozpin adjusted his glasses as he extended a hand to the hyperactive monkey Faunus who'd just finished signing his name on the documents before him.

Sun took the hand eagerly, shaking hands with Ozpin. "Thanks Headmaster! I won't let you down!"

Ozpin smiled behind his glasses, lifting up his coffee mug and taking a sip. When he finished, he continued with, "I'm sure you won't, Mr. Wukong. And, for what it's worth..." Ozpin's face fell slightly and the atmosphere became more somber. "I'm very sorry, as to what happened in Vacuo."

Sun shook his head slowly. "It...it's fine. At the very least, Team SSSN managed to make it out, so we've got that at least."

"Speaking of your team, since they aren't here yet, I'll be putting you temporarily as a fourth member on former Team JNPR." Ozpin explained.

"Er...'former?'" Sun's expression turned confused, then quickly flashed to concern. "N-none of them are dead are they?! I mean, I didn't know them that well but still, they were all great people!"

Ozpin drew his lips into a thin line and he sighed, taking another sip of coffee. "Last year, around this time, Jaune Arc disappeared from us. He'd...run away from Beacon blaming himself for a failed mission as well as the injuries of his partner and friend. I believe it was the last straw in a series of events that had Mr. Arc feeling as though he was not fit for this school, despite my beliefs to the contrary. That being said, I'd advise you during your stay here not to bring up Mr. Arc's name, especially to Team JNPR. I'm afraid it brings them into a deep depression."

"Oh...damn..." Sun's face looked unnerved at the information. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Also, I do apologize for not giving you much opportunity for relaxation, but you and Team JNPR will be going on a mission this Friday." As Ozpin finished explaining, the door of his office opened up, revealing Ren, Nora and Pyrrah.

"Sun?" Ren tilted his head.

"Hey guys! I'm gonna be a temp teammate of yours for a while until the rest of Team SSSN gets to Beacon!" Sun flashed them his trademark, easy-going smile and extended his hand.

Ren took the hand and gave a grateful smile. "It'll be nice to have some extra help around here."

"I've just finished telling Sun here that you are all being assigned to a mission this Friday. We've received word that the next Dust Crystal, the Verdant Leaf, has been found in the hands of the White Fang. According to their information, the Verdant Leaf will be transferred to a small storage facility outside of South Vale before being shipped to an unknown location. Because of this, your task is to make sure that the Verdant Leaf does not find its way into the hands of Cinder and her forces." Ozpin pushed his glasses further up his nose and took another drink of his coffee.

Ren nodded. "Yes sir."

"You'll be leaving via Bullhead at 7pm sharp. I expect all of you to be ready and prepared at that point. I'm not entirely sure if it needs to be a worry or not, but make sure you have all the information you can obtain from Team RWBY about that Phantom Nevermore fellow. If he shows up, I advise you to capture him and bring him directly here."

"No problem!" Nora excitedly shouted. "We'll just break his legs a little!"

Sun cocked his head to the side. "Um...how do you break someone's legs 'a little?'"

Ren gave a wry smile. "Don't ask. It's Nora. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be."

With a grimace, Sun nodded. "I'll defer to your expertise then." With that, he clapped his hands and grinned widely. "So, let's go visit Team RWBY! And...who the hell is the Phantom Nevermore."

Ren glanced at him from the side of his eyes. "You'll soon learn."

 _ **[Team RWBY Dorm Room]**_

 __ _Knock-Knock_

…

 _Knock-Knock_

The door opened up revealing one Ruby Rose, having just finished putting on her nightgown. "Oh, hey guys!"

Ren smiled tiredly. "Hey Ruby. Sorry to bother, but we've just been told about a mission we're supposed to go on this Friday, and Ozpin told us to gather as much information as we could from you guys about the Phantom Nevermore."

Ruby's cheerful countenance fell and she adopted an annoyed expression. "Oh, him. Sure, I can tell you guys again." Ren nodded and pulled out a small notepad from his pocket.

"Hey, is Blake here?!" Sun exclaimed from behind Ren, his cheerful expression only growing at the possibility of catching up with his crush once again.

A groan was heard from inside the room, followed by a laugh that was no doubt Yang's. "Yeah, we're all here."

"Who is it?" Weiss interjected irritably.

Ruby stuck her head back in the room. "Team JNPR! They're here to take notes on the Phantom Nevermore!"

"Oh. Invite them in, then."

Ruby opened the door fully, letting everyone inside. Sun of course made a bee line right to Blake, sitting down on her bed with what was supposed to be a charming grin. "Hey, long time no see!"

Blake gave a forced smile. "Indeed."

"So what have you been up to?!"

Her eyes glancing away, she curtly replied, "Nothing really. The same things I've always been doing."

Ren cut off Sun before he could answer back. "Alright. Ruby, I need you to tell us everything. I need details. Everything you girls can tell us about this guy brings us that much closer to capturing him."

Ruby nodded, and began her story from earlier again in earnest, with Ren writing down everything that he could. His mind was already formulating strategies and theories as to what the man's mysterious Semblance could be.

When she had finished, Blake added in, "Also, Weiss and I believe that the Phantom Nevermore took out Weiss first in order to keep her from using her glyphs to damage him."

Ren nodded. "I'm thinking. From what it sounds like, his Semblance lets him absorb physical damage. Yang, you said that when you punched him, you felt as though all the strength had left your punch?"

Yang grimaced. "Yeah. It was weird, I'd hit him with everything I had and the moment I made contact, it was like I'd simply placed my fist in his hand."

Pyrrah suddenly spoke up, startling everyone. "Kinetic Energy."

"Huh?"

Flashing Pyrrah a grin, Ren nodded. "That make sense. He absorbs Kinetic Energy. Physical blows do nothing to him, but Dust based attacks can hurt him. I'm willing to bet that those instant movements he was performing weren't teleportation, but him burning the stored kinetic energy to move at incredibly high speeds."

Ruby pouted. "What?! But that's my Semblance! He's stealing that too!?"

Sun laughed. "Seriously? Sounds better than yours, I mean, he can take all the physical damage he wants without worrying about it, then gets to move around super fast?"

Ruby stomped her foot and pouted harder, glaring at Sun. "It's not funny! How is that fair!?"

Ren's expression fell once more. "This isn't going to be easy. With a Semblance that strong, fighting him will require us to be as careful as possible. On the bright side, it seems like he doesn't want to permanently hurt anyone. So we can be a little reckless as far as that's concerned knowing that we'll be physically fine if we fail." He tapped his pen on the side of his leg, looking thoughtful. "I wonder if Aura based attacks can harm him?"

"Aura based?" Ruby asked.

"I can channel my Aura through my fists during combat in order to cause more damaging strikes. It's physical and Aura based, but I'm wondering if the Aura will pierce his Semblance?" Ren mused.

Blake bow twitched as she spoke up. "An interesting theory. Testing it would be risky though. That baton of his was able to knock out Weiss in seconds."

"It electrocuted me!" Weiss complained, glowering angrily.

"Electrocution? Wouldn't our Aura block it?" Ruby asked.

It was Pyrrah who shook her head and responded. "Only past a certain amount. Smaller amounts of electricity has to be allowed to pass through our bodies in order for our nerves and other physical responses to work correctly. That baton you spoke of must have been under the threshold, just enough to paralyze and knock unconscious."

"Then there are those darts. When we left to get back to the Bullhead, I found more White Fang members unconscious with the feather darts sticking out of them. I looked closer at them and they resembled flechette rounds. I'd bet they were coated in some sort of knock out poison." Blake added in. "I'm guessing he has range if he needs it."

"So he's highly prepared with equipment. How was his combat?" Ren asked.

Yang's face twisted in irritation. "Too good. He dodged everything I could throw at him and when Blake tried to join in, he used his damn speed to get away from us. Other than that though, we didn't get much from him. He spent most of the time running from us and taunting us."

"He's a thief. I wouldn't expect him to be much of a fighter. I'm guessing stealth and speed are his strong suits. Which means if we can corner him, he might go down easily." Ren wrote something down in his notepad, his lips drawn into a thin line.

"Think you have a plan to stop him?" Blake queried.

Ren shrugged. "Maybe. I can't say until we encounter him. For now though, I think we're best off knowing as much about him as we can."

"I hope you beat him! I was so angry when he got away!" Ruby continued to pout, crossing her arms over her chest angrily.

"Don't worry! We'll beat him for sure!" Nora exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air.

"We can only hope..." Ren trailed off, staring down at his notes.

 _ **[Next Day – Professor Oobleck's Class]**_

 __"Today, we'll be speaking about the Seven Pure Dust Crystals. Now, can any of you here tell me why the Seven Dust Crystals are so sought after?" Oobleck paced back and forth, coffee cup in hand as it always was.

Weiss, unsurprisingly, was the first to raise her hand. "I do sir!"

Oobleck gave a wry smile. "I'm not surprised you do, Ms. Schnee. Does anyone else know why they are so important?" The entire rest of the class didn't raise their hands, their faces a mask of confusion. After a while, Oobleck smiled and motioned to Weiss. "Then go ahead Ms Schnee. Please inform the rest of the class why they are so important."

Weiss cleared her throat haughtily and smiled. "Of course Professor. The Seven Pure Dust Crystals are important because they are a very rare form of the absolute purest form of Dust. A single crystal has enough power to supply all of Vale with energy for three years, assuming of course, that the energy uses of Vale do not change during that period of time."

Oobleck nodded. "Exactly. Now, can you name the varying Crystals?"

"Indeed! The Azure Diamond, The Verdant Leaf, The Crimson Heart, The Onyx Pinion, The Opal Pinion, The Amethyst Arrow and The Amber Bolt."

"Correct again! We are currently trying to ascertain their locations to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Under the wrong use, they could easily be used to power a weapon of great destruction."

Weiss's face twisted in anger. "Oh, we know where the Azure Diamond is...that bastard in the black coat took it!"

The class erupted into conversation at the revelation, students talking amongst themselves about the mystery character. "Settle down, settle down!" Oobleck shouted. "Yes, we were told about the mystery thief who was responsible for the failed mission last week. However, seeing how he was personally targeting the White Fang, one can inference that he's a third party; a wild card, so to speak."

"'cause we totally need a freaking extra party attacking us!" A student yelled out in annoyance.

"Everyone, please, settle down. I'm sure this will be solved in due time, but for now, I would like all of you to please open your textbooks to page 170..."

 _ **[Friday Evening – Undisclosed Hanger - Vale]**_

"Sturm and Drang?"

"...Check."

"Verdant No. 6?"

"...Check."

"Concussion Grenades?"

"...Check."

"Ammo?"

A shuffling sound. "Check. Could use a little more, but I'm certain I can make do with this much for the time being."

"Mask?"

Another shuffle. "Right here."

"You've studied the aerial maps?"

Jaune nodded. He had already been wearing his coat as he and Thaddeus had driven their way to the hanger where Thaddeus' black Bullhead was stored. He pulled out his white Grimm mask and slipped it on, the Black dust within it changing his appearance, his hair bleeding from blonde to black and his facial structure changing slightly, just enough to throw off anyone who might recognize him. "The structure looks to the same as the previous one, so this should be a piece of cake."

Thaddeus grinned, his glasses glimmering in the dull fluorescent lighting of the hanger. "Excellent! Your time for this particular mission will be 45 minutes. I'll come back at that point and give you five minutes to get to the Bullhead before I'll leave and you'll have to find your way back."

Jaune gave his uncle a thumbs up. "Not a problem. If I'm lucky, it'll give me some time to play with anyone who might show up unannounced."

"Looking forward to seeing Team RWBY again?" Thaddeus scratched his soul patch as he grinned wider.

"I guess you could say that. I like pitting my wits against them. When I was at Beacon, I could have never fought them and won, but now..."

"Now you're ready for them. You beat them once, I'm sure you can beat them again."

Jaune shook his head. "I probably could, but it won't be easy. They were picking apart my Semblance during the first battle. A second one fight would have them more prepared. Surprise _is_ my greatest strength, after all."

"True enough. So you're prepared?"

"Yep. Let's get this show on the road. I'm so excited, I can hardly wait!"

 _ **Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay in chapters, but as I've said before, life happens. I know this chapter didn't have a whole lot going on, but I wanted to shine a little more light onto why the Dust Crystals were so important as well as reveal a bit more of Jaune's Semblance. The next chapter should fully explain it, (or at least most of it) as well as its varying weaknesses. In other news, are you an Omake writer? Then I could use you! I'd love to have some Omakes for this, but I have no ideas personally. So if you're interested, just send me your Omake ideas, and if they make me laugh, I'll be more than happy to throw them in here! Again, special shout out to Benitho (Seriously dude, your reviews make my day!) and a shout out to the rest of you fans who make writing this all the worth it! I have all sorts of ideas in store, and I hope you guys stick around to read them all!**_

 _ **Keep the reviews coming!**_


	7. Bird's Eye View

_I don't own RWBY! Watch the sky for the shattered moon, and beware the bird that owns the night…_

 **Chapter 6: Birds-Eye View**

 _ **[Airspace Above South Vale]**_

"Alright Jaune, drop off point in T minus fifteen seconds. We're at the lowest point we can be without getting spotted by visual confirmation or radar. You confident you can make this jump?" Thaddeus' voice could be easily heard even with the whine of the Bullhead's quad motors. The silencing glyph they'd purchased for the aircraft had been expensive, but well worth the Lien.

Jaune nodded. "Not a problem. With any luck, I'll absorb enough energy from this landing to move through every White Fang member in one speedy run." His eyes were hidden from view by his mask, but Thaddeus could see the confident grin on his lips, and his body language had shifted to a much more self-assured one.

"Just don't get cocky. Remember, 45 minutes until I return, then 5 minutes after that for you to get to the craft. Any longer than that-" Thaddeus started to reply, but Jaune cut him off with a wave of a gloved hand and another disarmingly charming grin.

"Thaddeus, I got this. With that amount of time, I should be able to not only grab the Crystal, but get to play around a bit. Maybe scare a few White Fang." Jaune opened up the bay door and looked down. "Honestly, I think the biggest danger with this is the fear of being bored to death."

Jaune's uncle simply smiled. The fruits of the grueling and harsh training were showing. Sure, Jaune without the mask wasn't nearly as sure of himself or as assertive as with it, but when he threw on the Phantom Nevermore countenance, his personality shifted drastically. He was still Jaune but...not. He was everything Jaune wanted to be. Confident, Charming, Cunning and Skilled; The Phantom Nevermore wasn't just a persona to hide his identity from the world, it was his way of starting anew and becoming something he never was. "Alright. I await your triumphant return."

With a smile, the Phantom Nevermore gave a salute, standing with his back to the open night air, the building so far below it looked like a letter stamp. Then, he proceeded to fall backwards, his long feathered cloak billowing in the wind as he plummeted in the night air, his smile only growing wider.

Seconds ticked by. The falling thief, seemingly unconcerned with his current descent, closed his eyes and let the wind whip his raven black hair all around. It was the closest he'd ever get to flying, and it was exhilarating. The ground grew closer and closer, and Jaune didn't panic, didn't worry. He threw his trust into his soul, his Aura, his Semblance...and flipped feet first at the rooftop below.

He landed without a single sound. His Semblance absorbing the energy from the fall, making Jaune feel as though he had simply stepped onto the ground from a set of stairs. Jaune could feel the rush from the absorbed kinetic force flow through him, making him feel so much lighter on his feet. The fall had given him more than enough energy to perform the mission. The low altitude drop had been a brilliant idea on Thaddeus' part, giving him the speed he'd need to easily steal the jewel and have a little fun.

The thief made a note of the skylight that he'd landed near, making a mental reference to remember it as an escape path. He walked to the edge of the building and peeked over the edge, glancing about the surrounding area for signs of guards. South Vale was a place of rolling plains with very little tall vegetation. There were a few Grimm in the very, very far distance, but they didn't seem to notice, or care about the White Fang who were now making it their base. The shattered moon overhead cast a silvery glow across the grass of the plains and illuminated the ground below with light not much less than daylight.

A pair of guards sat by back entrance of the storage facility, leaning up against the wall on either side. Jaune pulled out his baton in one hand and with the other, pulled out his flechette pistol. His weapons ever since he'd abandoned Crocea Mors. Sturm and Drang, or Storm and Stress; a pair of fitting weapons for someone who'd decided to avoid causing any lasting harm to another sentient being, Faunus or otherwise. They were a symbol of how he abandoned his dream of becoming a hero, only to become a villain instead. Well, a wild card at least. _Somewhere in a gray area._

Jaune silently chuckled as he watched the two guards lazing about. _Only two? It's like they completely forgot I existed after last week!_ He silently took aim with Drang, lining up his sights with the back of the guards neck. _Alright, let's remind them exactly who they're dealing with...no. Wait. I need to get them separate. Take out one with Sturm, then take out the other one while he's alone._ Jaune got to his feet and walked to the side of the building, taking out a single Lien coin and flipping it off the ledge.

 _Tink!_

"Hey, did you hear something?" One of the guards muttered, just loud enough for Jaune to hear.

"Whatever. Probably just a wild animal. Or a Beowulf." The second guard answered in a very bored and tired tone. "Just go check it out, you can handle it."

"Alright, alright..." The first guard slowly ambled his way towards the noise, vanishing around the corner, muttering something about seniority.

Jaune grinned, his mask's red lenses glinting crimson in the moonlight. He watched as the guard walked to the right position and leaped off the roof of the building, landing right behind the White Fang soldier without a sound, his Semblance absorbing all the energy, and consequently the noise, of the landing. With a flick of his wrist, Jaune slammed the baton on the back of the White Fang member's neck, the electricity from the Verdant Dust, paralyzing him and keeping him from uttering a noise, his body going limp seconds later. He caught the body before it hit the ground making any noise and gently laid it down before slinking to the corner, holding up his pistol and preparing his shot.

The guard sat there, tapping his foot and groaning. "Hey! What's taking you so long you numskull?!"

Jaune smirked as he peeked around the corner and leveled his pistol at the remaining guard, and with a small whine, a black pinion dart pierced his neck and a couple of seconds of stumbling and surprise later, the guard dropped to the ground. Hiding back around the corner, Jaune waited with baited breath in hopes that the soldiers on the inside did not hear their outside guard drop. A few moments went by with no alarm sounded and Jaune let out a breath of relief.

All clear, Jaune made his way quickly to the door and with an absolutely wicked smirk, calmly knocked on the door. _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Seconds passed; the door opened up revealing a very confused looking White Fang member sticking his head out. "What the hell do you guys wa..." He trailed off as he found himself staring down the barrel of a pitch black pistol. Nervously, the guard swallowed as Jaune's smile became downright predatory.

"Nevermore." Jaune murmured before pulling the trigger, a dart embedding itself right into the poor guard's forehead, the fast-acting poison rushing through his system and causing the guard to pitch forward into Jaune's arms. The thief dragged his unconscious victim into the entrance room, smiling to himself as he noticed that the front room was another office. Jaune simply stuffed the body behind the old couch that sat on one side of the room and made his way to the door. He opened it up, and his body instantly flickered out of sight before any of the busy guards who were moving crates and boxes around the bigger inside room could see him.

Jaune's form reappeared behind a large wooden crate, kneeling behind it as he began to formulate his next plan of attack. He was still riding high on waves of stored kinetic energy, but he knew that he couldn't knock out every guard with Sturm since he required a couple seconds of contact in order to fully knock out an opponent. Drang could work, but he'd run out of ammo quickly and most likely in a position where he'd be seen. Quietly, he pressed himself to the crate and listened closely to another pair of guards nearby who were chatting amiably.

"Dude, just go for it! Sophia wants you so bad! How can you not see it?!"

"I dunno dude...Why would she want a guy like me?"

"You're a great dude! You're friendly and totally brave! Listen, have you noticed how whenever you enter the room, her ears perk right up and her tail gets to wagging?"

"S-so? She's just happy to see me! We're just partners!"

"No, no dude! Listen, I've even heard her talking about you to her friends! She. Wants. You! Go take her now! She won't wait forever! She wants to be with you!"

"You...you really think so?"

"Yes! Go to her. Now."

"But we're on duty!"

Jaune scratched his head, his face twisting in confusion. _Now why on Remnant does this seem so familiar? Reminds me of two people...Ren and Nora! ...And now I suddenly feel the urge to facepalm and I don't know why…_

"Pfft, Balthazar's a cool commander! The other day, Fredrich was caught drinking and Ol' Bal' just demanded that he share some of his drink! Seriously, go now!"

The more nervous of the White Fang soldier duo suddenly stood up and pumped his fist. "I-I'll do it!"

"Yeah! That's the spirit! Go while the iron's hot!"

Jaune rolled his eyes as the White Fang member ran off, leaving his partner sitting down on a

metal crate...unfortunately well within Jaune's reach. With a quick peek to make sure the lone Faunus wasn't being watched by anyone else, Jaune quickly reached out and with one hand grabbed the guard putting a hand over his mouth, and with the other, pushing Sturm against the guard's neck, his body stiffening as the electricity coursed through his body. Once Jaune was sure the guard was knocked out, he quickly pulled the body behind the crate he'd been hiding behind. Jaune found a pair of clasps and opened the crate and found it to be partially filled with boxes and boxes of... _condoms. What the absolute hell? You know what? At this rate, I really don't care. Though I do need a place to stash this guy…_

Jaune grimaced and mouthed an apology to the guy before shoving him awkwardly into the crate and closed it quietly. He peeked back out onto the open floor where male and female Faunus shuffled past each other, carrying around crates and boxes. His eyes glanced about in an attempt to find his prize, his target. It was then when he saw the towering Faunus in the center of the room, a blade almost as tall as he was strapped across his back. In one of his massive hands, holding it up to the fluorescent lights above, was the Verdant Leaf.

 _Bingo. Now, just to make my move. A concussive grenade should take out quite a few of them, including him, at least long enough to grab the Verdant Leaf. Then all I need to do is use my Semblance and remain hidden long enough for Thaddeus to fly back and pick me up. I have to wait for the right time, the right opportunity and then I'll stri-_

Hell suddenly broke loose. The door to the office was suddenly booted in with extreme force, hard enough to actually throw it off it's hinges and straight into the massive man in the center of the room, knocking him to the ground and causing the Verdant Leaf to scatter. Jaune, thinking quickly, immediately burned some of his stored energy, his body flickering out of sight from his current position, and reappearing in the rafters. He'd ran past, grabbed the Verdant Leaf and used the stairs up the side of the room to get to the catwalk, and from there to the rafters. It'd burned a decent amount of his energy, but he'd be able to see just what in the hell had attacked the large Faunus.

It was Nora. Jaune's eyes practically shot out of his head in surprise as he gazed at the mop of orange hair and the confident pose she took as she stepped foot into the room, the surrounding Faunus actually looking nervous. Jaune watched quietly as behind her stepped Ren. Even through the red lenses of his glasses he could tell that Ren didn't look good. He had dark circles under his eyes, and there was a strange look in them. Anger? Sadness? Jaune couldn't tell, but he knew he didn't like it one bit. Following behind him, swinging his staff with his usually easy going grin was Sun Wukong.

 _Sun? He's the new team member? Well, at least I know they found someone better than me to fill the fourth person on the team. I'm sure they're far better off with him than they are with me. Hell, I bet he's Pyrrah's partner! She could probably handle him. I know he's crazy, but he's also a good person._ Jaune felt relieve in his chest. He couldn't explain why Ren looked the way he did, but knowing that someone good had taken his place.

Then she walked in the room.

Jaune felt like someone had punched him in the gut. She was wearing his hoodie. She was wearing _his_ hoodie. _Why_ was she wearing _his_ hoodie? _Why on earth would she be wearing that?! I knew I left it behind, but she has no reason to wear it! Does she seriously still miss me? Hasn't she gotten over me? Why? Why?!_ Jaune could feel his control slipping as he gazed upon his flame haired partner stepping quietly behind the other three members of her team. He gripped the rafter he was balanced on and quietly watched the events going on below.

The larger Faunus stood up and growled angrily. "Kill them! They're here for the-" He stopped abruptly and started feeling his pockets, panic in his eyes. "The Verdant Leaf! It's gone! Kill them before they find it!"

With that, the surrounding men and women rushed forward, weapons drawn. Sun's eyes gleamed and his smile grew bigger as his body began to glow gold...and the room suddenly filled with glowing yellow clones of him. The multitude of clones spread out and began to beat down on the White Fang while Ren proceeded to open fire with Stormflower, Nora launching grenades with Magnhild and Pyrrah…

Jaune had never seen Pyrrah fight like she was right then. She was using her Semblance overtly, tossing around metal crates and slamming them with brutal, bone-breaking force right into the surrounding White Fang members. Those who got close to her suddenly found themselves weaponless as Pyrrah threw out a hand and caused their weapons to be ripped clean from their hands, launched far away. _She...she's even more beautiful than I remember…_ Jaune sat entranced, unable to tear his eyes away from his former partner as she became a whirlwind of blades and metal objects, tearing through her foes like a knife through butter.

The large Faunus' eyes widened as he witnessed the utter massacre of his troops, and proceeded to run to the back of the large storage room, hitting a button on a control panel and causing the large door that led to the loading dock to open up. "S-screw this! You h-humans will pay for this!" He screamed in terror, booking it as far as he could. Pyrrah started to go after him, but Ren put a hand on her shoulder. "No, Pyrrah. We're here for the Dust Crystal. Everyone, scatter and try and find it."

Jaune should have stayed quiet.

He should have continued to hide in the rafters until his uncle got back, then escape when no one was looking.

Instead, he stood up in the rafters, took a deep breath, and began to speak.

 _As the shattered moon lies in the sky;_

 _I fly above the clouds so high._

 _Watch me now, as I soar:_

 _I am, the Phantom Nevermore._

 _ **Author's Note: Yep, stopped it right on a cliffhanger, because I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON. :) So yeah, next chapter, Team SNPR fights our mysterious thief. But can they do any better than Team RWBY? Can Jaune bring himself to combat those who he called friends? Will they discover who he is? Things are starting to heat up, but we're far from over. Chapters might be slightly delayed in between each other as I do have to worry about work and life and such, but I'll try to get them done with some regularity. As for those of you requesting to see certain characters, parings, ideas, ect, I do ask that you give me some time. I have ideas extending very far ahead, and I do hope that all of you will enjoy them. With that being said, I'm happy to have so many people favoriting and following this, and hope to attain more in the future!**_

 _ **And please, keep the reviews coming! (Seriously, it's like a drug addiction here!)**_


	8. For The Birds

_I don't own RWBY! And yes, I was inspired by Persona 5 to create this wonderful little novella._

 **Chapter 7: For The Birds**

As soon as his words were spoken, the members of Team SNPR closed near each other and looked around in trepidation. With a laugh that echoed through the room, the Phantom Nevermore leaped off the rafters and landed before them, a smile from ear to ear, his coat billowing out behind him dramatically. Ren put his arms out, keeping his team back as he silently waited for the thief's next move. Slowly, the thief slowly rose from his crouched position and gave a low bow.

"So, at last, we meet Team-" He froze. "Er...Team...SN...Team SRP...Team...er..." His speech trailed off and the Beacon students stood watching as he quietly kept repeating varying combinations of letters in a very awkward manner. Finally he snapped his gloved fingers and held up a finger triumphantly. "Team SNPR!" _Ye gods, that was lame!_ Jaune inwardly grimaced. _Seriously, way to give yourself away! Hey, I'm Jaune Arc! You can tell because I can't pull off a damn awesome entrance to save my ass, apparently!_

Ren cocked an eyebrow so hard that it threatened to disappear into his hairline. "It...it's Team JNPR. Though...how did you know Sun had joined us?"

The thief casually twirled his finger above his head, smiling. "I admit, I wasn't previously aware of it, but I am familiar with Mr. Wukong." _Team JNPR? What the hell? Aren't you missing a letter? Please, for the love of Dust, do NOT tell me that you guys are still holding out for me. You guys do not need a thief in your team. Then again, they have Sun..._

Sun's face broke out into a wider, pleased smile. "Dude! He knows me! I must be popular!"

"Of course I know of you, Mr. Wukong, just as I know Mr. Lie Ren, the brilliant tactician of your team, and Ms. Nora Valkyrie, the bubbly and cheerful explosives expert!" Jaune's smile grew, even as the other members of his team looked utterly surprised at how he'd managed to point them out. "And who can forget the Goddess of the Battlefield herself, Ms. Pyrrah Nikos..." Jaune trailed off again after that, his smile growing wider. Unfortunately, for him at least, Pyrrah's only response was to glare at him, her body shifting back into a combat stance. "You know," Jaune spoke, expression mostly hidden behind his white and red Nevermore mask, "That hoodie really doesn't suit you."

The thief almost recoiled in shock as Pyrrah's glare turned down right enraged, and he could see her gripping her spear in a white knuckled grip. "Shut...up!" Pyrrah spat out, her emerald eyes full of anger.

 _Oh come on! First of all, you're wearing MY hoodie, and second, why the hell are you getting angry about me commenting about it? You can't be that attached to it!_ "Alright, alright, sensitive subject, I'll back off." The thief held up his hands in mock innocence.

"Why are you here?" Ren snapped.

Jaune smiled and slowly stepped back, staring at them all with his unnerving Grimm like countenance. "I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count."

"The Verdant Leaf!" Nora exclaimed, unfolding Magnhild into its hammer form.

His smile growing ever wider, he pulled out the emerald jewel from his belt and held it up, eliciting a gasp from Sun. "Damn, he's already got it!"

Ren glared. "He must have stolen it during our fight with the White Fang."

Jaune laughed, feeling in control once more, slipping deeper into his Phantom Nevermore persona. "You know, I have to thank you all. Thanks to you, I barely had to do anything! You did all the heavy lifting for me." He held up the crystal to the light, letting its green light wash over his mask. "Beautiful, isn't it? Though, it's beauty doesn't even compare to yours, Ms. Valkyrie."

The orange-haired, hyper girl blushed and giggled, even as Ren rolled his eyes. "Nora, he's just messing with you."

 _Jealous much, Ren?_ Jaune shook his head. "A little, I admit." Nora pouted angrily and hefted her hammer threateningly. "To be fair, I much prefer Ms. Nikos."

Pyrrah simply shook her head. "Hand over the jewel." Her tone was hard and unyielding.

Stepping back again, the thief bowed and waggled his finger. "Ah ah ah! What's the magic word?"

The redhead stepped forward threateningly, only to be stopped by Ren. "No. Remember what we talked about. If you go after him blindly, you'll only fuel his speed."

"Assuming I haven't already been fueled. You wouldn't _believe_ how much kinetic energy one can absorb from falling for two miles." Jaune kept on his ever present smile, putting his hands behind his back and swaying playfully.

Sun's jaw dropped. " _Two miles?!_ That's totally busted!"

Jaune just laughed. "Tell me about it!"

Ren shook his head. "We don't have time for this. Hand over the crystal now. This is your last warning."

"Oh?" Jaune cocked an eyebrow. "How about this. You should have already heard from Team RWBY how I enjoy playing games, and it just so happens..." Jaune lifted his arm and pulled back his coat sleeve, revealing a fancy black wristwatch. "I have three minutes before my ride arrives. If you all can defeat me in that time, then you can have your shiny, and I'll give up and come quietly and blah blah blah."

"And if you win?" Sun asked.

Ren fixed the monkey Faunus with a strange look. "Um, he keeps the crystal."

"Oh, and I get to laugh at all of you!" Jaune replied cheerfully.

"I...I don't like that." Sun replied dejectedly.

"Sun, remember what we talked about on the Bullhead ride out here?"

"Oh yeah!" Sun grinned and slammed the ground with his staff. As he did, another glowing version of himself appeared, and both Sun and the copy gave a thumbs up. "Just one?"

Ren nodded. "Just one." He turned to the Phantom, his tired expression actually uplifting. "Care to help me with an experiment?"

Jaune chuckled, even as his gaze flickered between each student, waiting for the right opportunity to move. "Sure, sure, just realize that you _are_ on a timer..."

The gunslinger waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, no worries about that, this shouldn't take too long. Sun, if you would?"

Sun grinned and his clone suddenly rushed at Jaune who took one look at it, it's fist cocked back for a punch, and yawned. "Really? Ms Xiao Long couldn't touch me with her punch, what makes you think this will do any bett-" Jaune was cut off when suddenly his face was snapped back painfully, the first of the clone slamming into his chin and launching him backwards, into a pile of crates. "Ghk!" Sun raised his hand triumphantly, and Ren lazily high-fived him, smiling widely.

"He can't block Aura based attacks either. This is good. We have the advantage." Ren replied, whipping Stormflower out once more.

Jaune meanwhile, was inwardly cursing hard. The moment the attack had made contact with him, the inferno of energy rushing through his body dissipated, leaving him dry. _Son of a-!_ He slowly got up, his head spinning from the hit, only to see Sun slam his staff once more into the ground and nearly fill the room with a bunch of glowing golden clones. _Alright. Plan B._ Jaune flipped onto his feet and reached into one of his many pouches, pulling out a canister of something with a ring at the top. "Not bad! You're at least smarter than Team RWBY was!" _Seriously, that hurt! I can't even speed to Sun to take him out now! That's fine though. You've come prepared._

"Hey!" Nora cried out angrily. "Stop making fun of them!"

"I would never!" Jaune shouted back, putting a hand to his chest. "I am, however, making fun of all of you." Jaune brought the canister to his mouth and grabbed the ring with his teeth, pulling it out. At the same time, Sun's clones rushed at him, looking all too ready to lay some painful smack down on him. Jaune simply gave a smirk, dropped the canister to his feet and shrugged, hands in the air. "Damn, you guys are good! Guess you got me!"

Nora cheered and went to step forward to apprehend the thief, but Ren put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes wide. "Nora, no! That's a grenade!"

The moment he finished speaking, the grenade at Jaune's feet suddenly detonated with a _FU-WHUMPH!_ A wave of force launched out like a bubble, slamming into the surrounding clones and causing them to vanish. Jaune of course, didn't move, his body once again flooding with energy as the concussive blast fed his Semblance. The wave of force continued though, launching boxes and crates about, and slamming into Team JNPR, throwing them back into the wall behind them.

"Whoo! That's a rush! And how are all of you doing? Good? I hope so." The Phantom's mocking voice reached JNPR's ears and they slowly stood up, groaning.

"Damn it!" Ren shouted angrily. "I should have known he'd have something like that prepared!"

Without waiting for them to get up, Jaune's body flickered out of sight and reappeared above Sun, who's eyes bulged out in shock at how fast the thief made his way to him. Before the monkey Faunus could move, Jaune slammed the tip of the baton right into Sun's exposed abs and flicked the switch, Sun's body suddenly stiffening and agony lanced through him. "No!" Jaune heard Nora cry out before he sped away again, leaving Sun's unconscious form lying where it was.

"Ever so sorry, but that was going to get annoying real quickly." Jaune quipped, flipping his baton lazily in his hand.

Ren got to his feet, clenching his teeth in anger, and rushed after the thief. Jaune laughed, and ran forward to meet the gunslinger. Ren opened up by firing his gun but the thief simply flickered back and forth, dodging the shots and getting closer. Finally, when he was in range, Ren proceeded to holster his guns and start throwing Aura enhanced punches in the Phantom's direction. Jaune dodged back and forth, swaying to keep any of his friend's attacks from connecting. Unfortunately, Ren was faster than Jaune had anticipated and he ended up receiving an Aura blow to the chest that launched him across th room once more.

 _GAH! MY RIBS!_ Jaune struggled to get up, his ribs in agonizing pain. He'd survive, but he was damn sure his own Aura had taken a _massive_ hit. _I feel like he shattered my damn ribs!_ His eyes widened behind his mask as he noticed the remainder of the team get up and he swore inwardly. It was time to stop playing. If he kept underestimating them, he'd end up captured for sure, and being captured by his former team was…well, it'd be ironic, that would be for certain.

Ren was the first to approach the Phantom, his own glowing fist blurring at the prone figure, but before he made contact, he felt his legs give way as the thief kicked them out from under him. At the same time, the thief brought out one gloved hand and grabbed him by the throat, shoving his baton viciously into his stomach and flooding him with electricity. His body stiffened, muscles convulsing. He tried to hold onto his consciousness, but his vision slipped into darkness and he felt himself being let go to fall to the ground.

"RENNY!" Nora cried out, her eyes narrowing. "I'm _so_ gonna break your legs for that!"

Jaune shook his head, trying to get himself (and the situation) under control. "Now, now, there's no reason to resort to such violence, I simply gave him the nap he so desperately needs. Have you seen those eyes?" He slowly stood to his feet, his body wavering. _Damn, either Ren is stronger than I thought or...no. My Semblance makes me vulnerable to Aura based attacks, doesn't it? I'm taking more damage than usual trying to block them with my Semblance...you really do learn something new every day._

Pyrrah knelt down, touching her hand to something, her hand turning black for a moment. "Nora, you need to calm down. We can't beat him like this. He took out Ren and Sun. We have to come up with a-"

"Tick-tock ladies! You only have a minute and thirty seconds before I hightail it out of here! Do you really have time to be planning anything?" Jaune singsonged, wagging his finger. _I have to keep them angry, keep them off guard. Let's see here…_ "You guys said you're Team JNPR? Funny, I thought Mr. Wukong's name was Sun? Aren't you missing someone here?" _I am SUCH an ass right now...but I'm desperate. Sorry guys._

As expected, Pyrrah's visage grew wrathful. "How...how DARE YOU!" She roared and charged at him, Milo drawn and ready to impale the thief. Jaune reached into another pouch and drew another grenade, pulling the pin again with his teeth. _Crap, this is the last one! Better make it count!_ Jaune stepped forward once more to meet his former partner, still holding onto the grenade. Pyrrah, overcome with rage, didn't notice it until she had gotten within swinging distance, her eyes widening when she noticed the black canister.

 _FU-WHUMPH!_ The grenade went off and Pyrrah found herself being flung violently back, crashing into the wall. Jaune felt himself filling with energy once more. _Getting hit by anything removes all the stored energy too, apparently. Good to know, I guess. Learning more and more about my Semblance in this fight. Still, need to be careful. How much time? Crap, still a minute._ "One minute ladies!" Jaune singsonged again. _Have to keep them pissed. Have to get them to keep making mistakes. I can't afford to take another hit!_

Nora growled and hit the button on Magnhild, switching it back into its grenade launcher form and began to fire at Jaune. He flickered forward, pulling Drang out and switching it to burst fire. He fired a round of flechettes in Nora's direction, who dodged just as the explosions erupted behind the Phantom. At the same time, Pyrrah stood to her feet shakily, still woozy from being hit so close by the concussion grenade. Her Aura took the brunt of the damage, but she was still feeling dizzy from the closeness of the blast.

"Come on ladies! It's like you aren't even trying!" The Phantom continued to taunt. _God, I feel terrible! I mean this is just being plain mean! I'm sorry Pyrrah! Sorry Nora!_ "Maybe if that J person was here, he could handle this!" _Damn it! I am being the worst kind of person right now!_ Pyrrah clenched her teeth and extended a hand, her hand turning black. Jaune cocked an eyebrow, wondering what she was doing...until something slammed into the back of his head, pitching him forward. "GAH!" Jaune gingerly felt the back of his head, and brought his fingers back with blood. _Shit. Shit shit shit. This is NOT good! How much time left?! Fifteen seconds!_

As the thief looked up, his eyes almost bulged out of his mask as he saw Nora revving up for a hammer blow, and he was sure that she was going to be using her grenades to enhance the swing. The force he could absorb, but not the heat, and that might just take him out! Desperately, he jumped to his feet, ignoring the agony in his ribs and his head and as Nora swung down, he grabbed her hand, using his Semblance to absorb the kinetic energy in her arms, causing her to stop in mid swing and fire the grenade over his head. "No!" Nora cried out, almost pouting in frustration.

Jaune jumped back, counting down the seconds in his head. _Ten, nine, eight, seven-_ He dodged as Pyrrah, in desperation and frustration, began to launch objects at him with unnerving velocity. Some of them even came back, forcing him to keep an eye on both the girls, and any incoming objects from behind. _Four, three, two, one!_ Jaune quickly holstered Drang and pulled out another pistol like object from his other side. He pointed it upward and hit a button, causing the metal end of it to sprout wicked prongs, and with a pull of the trigger, shot it upwards into the ceiling, shattering it and causing glass to rain down around him.

"NO!" Pyrrah yelled, racing forward to stop the thief before he could escape, but the cord went taut and he was suddenly pulled upwards before Pyrrah could approach him. She turned quickly to Nora. "Nora! Launch me! We can't let him get away!" Nora nodded and lowered her hammer, letting Pyrrah awkwardly get onto it, and with a mighty, Aura enhance swing, launched her Spartan friend up through the now broken skylight.

Unfortunately for Pyrrah, the thief had burned what little force he had remaining to get to the black Bullhead that lay waiting on one end of the building and all but rolled into the open bay doors. She heard him yelling, his voice a panicked cry, "Fly! Now!" Pyrrah started to run, but stopped, watching the Bullhead pull away and up into the air. She watched as it flew away, into the night sky before sinking to her knees.

Her cry of rage could be heard through the South Vale plains for miles.

 _ **Author's Note: Oof, Pyrrah is NOT happy! Can you blame her though?! Jaune taunted Jaune! Er, wait... Anyway, here's the next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews, they seriously make writing worth it! By the way, anyone play Transistor? If you have, I'm considering making a RWBY/Transistor crossover at some point where Jaune discovers the Transistor at an early age, with Red, Mr. Nobody and Royce lending a hand. Not sure what parings it might be, (although I might run Jaune X Harem because I'm an addict for schadenfreud.) Anyway, hope this chapter brought you enough excitement for now!**_

 _ **And as always, keep the reviews coming!**_


	9. Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt 1)

_I don't own RWBY. If you're all wondering why Jaune doesn't know all the details of his Semblance and Ren was able to figure it out, Ren was experimenting. It was all a risk that actually paid off. Also, we're finally approaching the part in this in which we are starting with some honest to goodness arcs. (Get it? Arc? Jaune Arc? HAHAHAHAHA -_-; )_

 **Chapter 8: Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt. 1)**

 _ **[Beacon Academy -Headmaster's Office]**_

"Sir, as leader of Team JNPR, I claim all responsibility for the failure of this mission. I had thought I'd planned for every contingency, but I was unprepared for the Phantom's equipment, as well as the strength of his Semblance. We were able to cause him some damage, but..." Ren trailed off as he sat in a chair before the Headmaster of Beacon, a disappointed frown on his face.

Ozpin waved his hand nonchalantly. "Please, Mr. Lie Ren, do not abuse yourself over this. Unfortunately we have all underestimated him. Further, we have not been able to find any information on this particular character. If anything, I should be thanking you for finding out as much as you did on him during this last mission. On the bright side, because the Verdant Leaf has been stolen, it is no longer in the hands of the White Fang, and that means Cinder and her forces cannot use it against us."

"It's still in the hands of the Phantom though." Ren replied, almost bitterly.

"Yes, but currently he is a wild card. We do not know what his endgame is, nor do we know why he seeks the Pure Dust Crystals. All that we can do is hope that his goal isn't a malevolent one for now, and prepare further should we continue to seek the Crystals. With that being said, I'm marking this as a success on your team's records. Information is still a valuable resource, and anything that will help future teams take down this thief will be of great importance." Ozpin quietly took a sip of his coffee and gave Ren a small smile.

Ren gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you sir. I promise, should we encounter him again-"

"Do not worry. For now, we are still searching for the remaining Dust Crystals. For now, I would highly suggest doing some rest and relaxation for your team. By the way, I would have you talk to Pyrrah. She was...very upset due to her inability to defeat the Phantom. Between that, and her...emotions over Jaune's disappearance, I fear this will not go well for her mentally. As team leader, you should work on helping her overcome these."

"I...I've tried. I might be able to convince her not to go overboard with the Phantom but..."

Ozpin's expression fell and he frowned, suddenly looking very old in Ren's opinion. "Yes. Her feelings for young Mr. Arc were genuine and expansive. Losing someone so close to her when she had little else to begin with might be a wound from which she might never recover. Still, with time, she might be able to find someone else."

Ren stood and nodded. "Yes sir."

"Very well, you are dismissed. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening, Mr. Lie Ren."

"You as well sir."

Ren started to the door, but Ozpin's voice called after him. "Out of curiosity..."

"Yes sir?" Ren turned around to see Ozpin now adopting a curious, thoughtful expression.

"Did...did Jaune talk much about his family before he left?"

Ren cocked an eyebrow. "Er...just that he had seven sisters...beyond that, not much."

"No mention of an uncle?" Ozpin queried.

"I'm afraid not."

Ozpin nodded. "Understood. Have a good night, Ren." With that, Ren nodded back and walked out the door, leaving Ozpin to his thoughts.

 _ **[Casa De Arc]**_

"She was wearing _my_ hoodie! MY HOODIE!" Jaune paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair in what could only be described as a panic. "Then, when I made fun of her for it, she got pissed! Why was she pissed?! That was my hoodie! Yes, I know I forgot it, but why is _she_ getting pissed about it?!"

"Okay, first of all, Jaune, calm down. You're going to pace a hole right through my brand new Vacuoian rug. Secondly, you need to sit down so I can bandage your wounds. You took a serious beating back there. And thirdly, it sounds like Ms. Nikos still cares very deeply for you, even through your absence. I'd say she's wearing it as sort of a memorial." Thaddeus pushed his glasses further up his nose, giving Jaune an amused glance.

The younger blonde stared back, eyes wide. "S-still cares about me? Are you kidding? _I ran away_!" He finally sat himself down on the couch within reach of his uncle who proceeded to take out the medical kit he had on hand, removing bandages from it.

"Pfft. So?" Thaddeus took out a rag and a bottle of something, pouring it onto the rag and pressing it against Jaune's head.

"So-OUCH!" Jaune winced.

"Relax, you took a nasty wound back here. I'm surprised you're even still conscious." Thaddeus replied, with his usual amused smile plastered back on his face.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I ran away Thaddeus! Shouldn't she hate me? I abandoned her! I abandoned all of them!"

Thaddeus shook his head as he continued to clean the wound, Jaune's blonde hair matted with dried blood. "Good friends will stick with you through thick and thin. But the best friends will never let you go, no matter how hard you try. They probably understood why you did what you did. They probably didn't agree with it, but they knew why."

Jaune groaned. "Why? I was weak! Weak willed and physically weak!"

"So? You had a good heart. Still do. People like you are rarer than you'd think, and to some people, that means everything." Thaddeus took the bandages and began to wrap them around Jaune's head.

"I...they'll get over me. I know they will." Jaune's gaze was straight ahead as his uncle continued to bandage him. His ribs were still aching badly, but his aura was slowly healing them.

"Are you sure?"

Jaune bit his lip and shook his head gently. "I'm only me."

Thaddeus sighed. "Jaune, if you up and vanished on me, I'd be concerned."

"Yeah, but you're family!"

"What are friends but family not bound in blood? Are you just trying to convince yourself that they'll forget about you?"

Jaune fell silent, the storm still raging in his thought and in his heart. He needed something else to talk about. Something to get off the subject before he broke. After a few moments of quiet introspection, Jaune spoke up again. "Hey...Uncle Thaddeus?"

"Yeah?"

"Think you could tell me a bit more about yourself? As the Shadow Ursa?"

Thaddeus laughed again. That was one of the things Jaune loved about his uncle. He was a cheerful, upbeat person who laughed and smiled easily. Not mockingly either, Thaddeus was a generally kindhearted person. "You really want to know about my sordid past, huh?"

Jaune gave a small chuckle. He knew Thaddeus knew he was trying to change the subject, but his silence on that matter was further proof of Thaddeus' kindness. His uncle knew just how hard the news was to him that his friends refused to give up on him. "Yeah. Tell me about it. How did you end up as Phantom Thief?"

Thaddeus sat back in his recliner and picked up his glass of whiskey, taking a small drink as he reminisced. "It all started back with your grandfather, and the Arc tradition of the Blade Dance. As I've told you before I...failed. As per Arc tradition, I was exiled by your grandfather and was supposed to perform the Rite of The Broken Blade. The same thing you were trying to do when I found you wandering the Forever Fall forest last year."

Jaune winced. "Kill Grimm until they kill you."

"Exactly. It was supposed to earn back your honor that you lost failing the Blade Dance. I however, was bitter. Angry. Upset. I wanted to rebel against the people who threw me out, the ones who abandoned me. So instead of picking up a weapon and fighting to death, I ran. All I had on me were the clothes on my back and 500 Lien. Barely enough to live on for a month, I started my life off the only way I could. Pickpocketing, minor theft, I was nothing more than a thug." The older blonde took another drink of his alcohol, the younger blond listening in rapt attention. "I lived this way, barely, for two years. Two long, grueling years. I learned the rules of the street, the rules of the gangs and the criminals who lived in Vale's underground."

Thaddeus' gaze was distant now as he dredged up old memories, his gray eyes staring off into space, ignorant of his nephew adjusting himself on the couch for a better position. "One day, I'd decided, out of boredom, to read a comic book from a local newspaper stand to occupy some time in following a particular mark I'd been trying to steal from. Only...I got distracted. It was about a Phantom Thief and his adventures, and something about it just...clicked. It was everything I ever wanted. Fame. Fortune. Respect. The Phantom Thief lived by his own rules, his own morals. He was the master of his own fate, and lived for the challenge. He was smart, cunning, clever and charismatic. It was then I swore that I would become Remnant's first real life Phantom Thief."

"What was your first heist like?" Jaune queried, enjoying the tale.

"Well, after I'd put down the comic, I started looking around town for the right heist. It needed to be public, and it needed to be something big. I had a few fences at the time that I sold minor things to, but I needed big Lien if I really wanted to be a true Phantom Thief. It was then when I found it. A particularily famous painter at the time was displaying a special picture of his; it was the first picture of it's kind, made with a special kind of paint that was totally immune to water and couldn't be damaged. They were going to dunk it into a bathtub as part of the exhibit in order to show it was the real deal."

"You went for a famous painting?"

"Heh, I didn't have the moral compass you had. At the time, all I could think of was getting rich, and getting famous. I spent the remaining Lein I had on hand on a large, black coat, a replica Ursa mask, and some painting supplies. After that, I'd visited the painting early, studying it, memorizing it and every detail, then, back at my hovel, I took my supplies and started work on an exact duplicate. The work was painstaking, and took me three weeks, but in the end, I'd managed to make an exact replica in time. During the night previous to the event, I'd managed to sneak into the art gallery and replace the original with the replica, and left." 

"You made an exact replica?! Why not just become a painter?" Jaune laughed.

"Oh shush you! I was on a roll! The next day I put on the best outfit I could and visited the gallery, waiting for them to do the dunking to see their reaction. See, I'd painted a message behind the actual painting using the special paint the same artist used. So, imagine their surprise and shock when they found out that their painting ran like water, and underneath were the words, 'The Shadow Ursa Strikes!' Back then, Ursa were a _big_ problem around Vale, so having some thief call himself that was...well, unnerving, but got word to traveling fast. Of course, there was an investigation almost immediately, and I soon found myself on the run, but I'd done it. I made mint off the painting too, enough to put me up in a nice penthouse with plenty to spare, even with the large cut my fence took."

"Wow..." Jaune ran a hand through his hair, gently brushing it against the rough bandage around his head. "How many successful heists have you pulled?"

"Twenty."

"That's...damn."

"Hey, don't look so down! You pulled your first one off with perfection! Hell, even your second one here wasn't too bad! You got away, you got the jewel, no one uncovered you...you even managed to show yourself off a bit! Better than my first two anyway." Thaddeus grinned at his nephew.

"What was your best heist?"

"Most expensive item stolen, or most fun had?"

"Er...both?"

"Well, the most expensive item I'd ever stolen was the Crown Jewel of the Vacuoan Royal Family. That one was...surprisingly easy, actually. The most fun one though, was definitely stealing Ozpin's coffee mug."

Jaune shot up in his seat, and winced at the action. "Wait, you know Ozpin?"

"Oh, I know all of them at Beacon! Ozpin, Glynda, Peter, Oobleck, Peach, Raven-"

"Raven?"

Thaddeus scratched his soul patch. "Raven Branwen. She was...well, not a rival, but the one woman who hunted me mercilessly more than any other. She seemed damned determined to bring me to justice. During the time in which I managed to steal Ozpin's coffee mug, she'd cornered me down in the sewers where I'd planned to make my escape."

"How'd you get past that one?"

"Oh, Raven was _good_. She was skilled, fast, powerful and her Semblance let her move anywhere she wanted to via portals. After a few minutes of combat, I was getting overwhelmed. However, I was known for one thing and one thing above all else; Audacity. When she wasn't expecting it, I'd caught her and kissed her. Right there, in the sewers, I caught her and went to town on her. She was so utterly shocked by my brazen move that she'd just stood there frozen, and I was able to escape into the crowd where she lost me. To this day I can't not laugh at the memory of her standing there, looking like she'd been hit with a semi-thawed fish!"

Jaune started guffawing, tears starting to flow down his cheeks in laughter. "You serious?"

"Oh, hell yeah! I couldn't think of anything else, and she was just too good in combat!"

"Why Ozpin's coffee mug though? Doesn't that seem a bit risky with no payoff?"

Thaddeus gave a dismissive snort. "Oh, I had plenty of Lien at that point. I was doing it to prove a point that pointdexter. Thought he was so damned smart and so full of himself, so I thought I'd drop by, scare him a little and take his favorite coffee mug. I had so many bear puns, that I swear, I think to this day his _'I'm so smart and know everything and nothing phazes me'_ act drops like a rock when you say bear puns around him."

Jaune gave a sigh. "Damn, wish I knew that back at Beacon."

Thaddeus laughed. "Oh, he's probably not _nearly_ as bad as he used to be. Before Summer died anyway."

"Who?"

"Oh, a teammate of his. But that's a story for another time." Thaddeus got to his feet and stretched. "It's getting late though, and you need some rest. Those ribs of yours need to heal up before you can do anything else."

Jaune nodded. "I might just crash here on the couch. Too tired to get up."

Thaddeus laughed. "I hear ya. I'm gonna put away the dishes and head to bed myself."

"No prob." Jaune pulled out his scroll from his pocket and flicked it open, logging onto his Dusternet account. He mumbled under his breath as he viewed the news profiles, but nothing caught his eye. Mostly Grimm attacks on the fringes of society, like it always was, Faunus joining the White Fang in higher numbers, and… "That's it."

"Hm?" Thaddeus poked his head towards Jaune. "What's it?"

"Thaddeus, do you mind if I plan my next heist on my own?"

"Sure, you can do that. What were you thinking?"

Jaune simply smiled a wicked smile and held up his Scroll for Thaddeus to read.

 **Friday Night! One Night Only at Juniors! Half Price Drinks and Door Prizes in Celebration of the Acquisition of The One of a Kind Dust Crystal, The Crimson Heart! This Rare Gem Will Be On Display At Midnight! Featuring DJ Baby Bear!**

Thaddeus started laughing again. "Oh, a nightclub?! That's brilliant! You'll be all over the news when you show up! And best of all, it's being displayed on a full moon?!"

Jaune smile grew wider. "And, it's in town. No need for a Bullhead."

Thaddeus' expression hardened. "Do you have a plan though?"

His blue eyes lighting up, Jaune nodded. "Yeah. In fact, one could say you even gave me the inspiration for it..."

 _ **Author's Note: Yeah, I know, another chapter with not a whole lot of action, but come on, character development! I wanted to give Thaddeus Arc (My OC) some backstory and sort of develop on how Jaune feels about his former team still pining for him. As you can see however, he's deep in denial, and I do not mean he's swimming in a river in Egypt! As I've said above, this is the first chapter in a major arc spanning most likely three to four chapters, followed by another major arc, and then another. After that, I'll be completing this particular fic and preparing to start work on my crossover fic, in addition to the next Phantom Nevermore fic. (Because this one won't be the only one!)**_

 _ **Anyway, please keep the reviews coming!**_


	10. Author Q&A Session

_I do not own RWBY!_

 **Author's Q &A **

**Okay, so, instead of a chapter today, I'm releasing a bit of a Q &A session here to answer some of your questions that don't involve serious future spoilers. There might be some spoilage here, so if you're really against knowing anything at all about the future, then I'd suggest skipping this for now. Now to lose 90% of my fanbase...**

 **1.) Will this be a Jaune x Neo Paring?**

Unfortunately, no.

…

Wait, come back, let me explain!

This won't be a Jaune x Neo paring for a few reasons. First, I'm trying to write Neo somewhat similar (Shut up, I said somewhat!) to the actual series. That is to say, she's a criminal. Not the fun, trolly, really actually helping people out way Jaune is, but in the psychotic, murdering, Cinder's right hand assassin sort of way. Because of this, and Jaune's moral compass (and yes, he has one, note how he's been stealing from mostly White Fang and now Junior, who has ties to crime himself) I just can't see him actually wanting to be with her in the end.

Second, as I've written her, I'm afraid there's no saving her seriously. (Yes, entirely my fault, but I wasn't aware of just how utterly popular Neo was in the paring community and was writing her as mostly a comedic obstacle Jaune has to encounter en masse.) Even if I did try to make her a serious contender for Jaune's heart, it just wouldn't work with how utterly absurd she was earlier on.

Thirdly, I don't know if I even _could_ write a good Jaune x Neo romance. Such a thing has to be handled carefully. Perhaps writing her as a Chaotic Neutral trickster could work out, but I refuse to write her as a twee, sacchirne, good girl like some others do. Just doesn't sit well with me.

 **2.) Okay, so if no Neo, then who is Jaune being paired with? Winter?**

Er...I...have no clue.

I know this was suggested, but the issue is, we just don't know that much about her! We know more about Neo just from her reactions and actions in RWBY thus far, but all we have about Winter Schnee is her name, and her appearance. That's it. She could be an unrepentant jerkass who has joined her father in being a Faunus abusing butt munch, or she could be a tragic figure who is caught between her father's stern rule and wanting to love her younger sister. There's just too much we don't know, and as much as I know as a fanfic writer I can write her any way I really please, I'm just not sure if I'd make her a paring.

 **3.) Okay, so if not Neo or Winter, then who?**

Not really sure.

I have a few ideas floating around, to be fair, and the future of this story will veer into harem territory for a bit, as a number of female characters will acquire feelings for either Jaune, or the Phantom Nevermore. However, he will end up with one character for sure, so no harem ending.

 **4.) So Pyrrah then?**

Possibly. She is a strong contender for Jaune's heart. I know it's an over done thing, and some people dislike it because it's canon. I however, love it because Pyrrah is a sweet girl who is obviously very lonely and has found happiness in Jaune's companionship. It's cliché, it's overdone, but damn it, let me have my sappy romance! (also, frustrated Pyrrah going no holds barred is _hilarious_ )

 **5.) What about Blake?**

Ooh, another one I really like. See, to me, Jaune and Blake are almost opposites. Blake is a cynical girl whose had to do a lot of things just to survive, never having anything and being toughened up by a cruel life, finding herself hiding in the shadows because it's the only place she can really call home. Jaune on the other hand is idealistic, almost naive at times. He's the bright ray of sunshine to her dark shadows. I like to think that they'd compliment each other well in the whole 'opposites attract' sort of vein. Jaune could brighten her world while she brings him down to earth.

Even as the Phantom Nevermore, his cheery, upbeat personality (as well as a few future events showing that he still has Jaune's good heart) could be a good thing for Blake. Think of it as Moonlight and Shadows. One of them sticks to the darkness to hide, while the other embraces it almost joyously, finding a freedom within.

 **6.) Lancaster perhaps? (Ruby x Jaune)**

Hm, not sure. Ruby is adorable, awesome and sweet, but I'm not sure if I'd pair him up with her in this.

 **7.) Blondeshipping then?**

Yang? That could be interesting. I can imagine Yang falling for Jaune because unlike a lot of others, he sees more than just her fighting and her drop dead gorgeous body. He can see her lust for life, her passion for adventure and her compassion for her friends and family. Once Jaune gets more confidence and is no longer so shy around here, I can see Yang becoming infatuated with him. Whether or not Jaune returns said feelings are something to be determined later.

 **8.) (Insert Character Here) x Jaune?**

Well, I do have some really interesting plans for Velvet, so she could possibly be a contender as well, but as for anyone else, I'm just not really sure. I won't do any crack parings in this particular fic, so sadly, no Cinder x Jaune folks.

 **9.) Will Jaune ever perform any absolutely absurd feats of thievery?**

Does the sun rise in the East? Of course! Maybe not in this particular book, but definitely in the next, I have plans for a heist that will put him forever in Remnant's history books.

 **10.) Couldn't you just make this all one book?**

Yes, but I wanted to give myself a little bit of a break between books for other ideas. Also, at the end of book 1, there's a small time skip in which nothing really interesting happens besides basic school life, so I figured doing another book then might be interesting.

 **11.) Will Team RWBY/JNPR find out who the Phantom Nevermore is?**

Eventually, yes, but not anytime soon. Half the fun of the second book will be people getting close to the truth, but Jaune being forced to find creative ways to get the heat off of him.

 **12.) Oh come on, it's easy to figure out who the Phantom Nevermore is! Why haven't they figured it out yet?**

Think of it as a subconscious thing. See, they don't want to believe that Jaune would go, disappear and reappear as a thief who has been trolling them and kicking them around merrily the whole time. He's acting so un-Jaune-like, that no one can accept that it might possibly be him. One of the many reasons Jaune acts the way he does as the Phantom Nevermore.

 **13.) Isn't Jaune being kind of a dick to his former team and friends?**

Yeah, a bit. As chapter 8 showed, he's torn about it, especially in regards to team JNPR. With Team RWBY, it was actually supposed to be more friendly. He's excited to finally be at a skill level where he can match them, but when Team SNPR started getting close to beating him, he had to anger them to get them to make mistakes. Not something he enjoyed doing at all.

 **14.) Any other ideas you have planned?**

Yes! Quite a few actually. The Transistor crossover, a horrible summer vacation fic where Jaune ends up being shipped with everyone he shouldn't be, and a fairly run of the mill harem fic that I think could still be pretty good if written well. Among others.

 **15.) So...any Jaune x Neo?**

Er...give me some time to figure something out.

 _ **This is LaughingLefou, signing off for now! Look forward to Ever Seen A Bird Dance (Pt. 2) in the next couple of days, and hope to keep getting reviews!**_


	11. Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt 2)

_I do not own RWBY! Is it bad I've been writing more on fanfiction than on my own original work? Also for the reviewer who'd made the mention of Sun's clones being his Semblance and not Aura, I picture them as being made of Aura, hence being able to pierce Jaune's Semblance. I could be wrong, but that's just what I see it as._

 **Chapter 9: Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt. 2)**

The morning began as it usually did at Thaddeus' place. Jaune started off by trudging out of his bed and trying to push his body through its usual routine of stretches, ignoring the stiffness of his torso and the soreness of his ribs. After that, he headed to the bathroom to begin his ritual of cleaning and positivity in the mirror, before finally joining Thaddeus in the main room, the smell of eggs and bacon wafting through the apartment and causing Jaune's stomach to growl noisily.

"Someone's hungry!" Thaddeus laughed, looking cheerful as ever.

"Hey, what can I say? You're an amazing cook." Jaune ran his hand through his hair as he sat at the dining room table, pulling out his scroll as his mind started to analyze and plan.

"Preparing so early?"

Jaune grinned. "The early bird gets the worm, as they say, or in my case, gets the Dust Crystal." The younger blond tapped away at his scroll, swiping as he scratched his chin. "Out of curiosity, if you were to make a replica gem, what material would you use for it?"

Thaddeus scratched his chin as he flipped the omlette he'd been working on, thinking. "Hm...honestly, I'd probably use some cheap, low quality dust and a Dust Fusion machine. From there, just use an alchemy knife to trim and shape it to look like the real thing."

"Let me guess; Dust Fusion machines are rare, expensive, or not in use anymore?" Jaune grimaced.

"What? No, I got one lying around in my closet." Thaddeus pulled out a pair of plates and served up the breakfast food, earning a mumbled thanks from Jaune.

"I swear, ever since I met you Uncle Thaddeus, my luck's gone through the roof. If I was still back at Beacon, a Dust Fusion machine would be some impossible to acquire object. Then again, I wouldn't need it."

"I'm guessing this isn't really curiosity or hypothetical, is it?"

Jaune grinned. "How'd ya guess?"

Thaddeus gave a silly grin and poked his head. "I'm psychic. Didn't you know?"

Rolling his eyes with a smile, Jaune nodded. "Oh, right, of course. And what am I thinking of now?"

"...Tacos?"

Jaune's eyes widened. 'W-what? Are you actually psychic? You have to tell me if you're psychic! It's in the rules!"

Thaddeus laughed heartily. "Nope, just a lucky guess."

Jaune sighed deeply. "Man, I'm never going to find out what your Semblance is, am I?" His uncle just laughed and smiled once more, leaving Jaune to groan and eat his breakfast in irritation.

 **[Vale – Dust'n'Dusters]**

Jaune always liked shopping at Dust'n'Dusters, there was something about the store that just clicked with him. Maybe it was the proprietor who always greeted him with a warm smile and a cheerful wave. Maybe it was the atmosphere, harkening to the days of cattle drives and six shooters. Or maybe it was simply that the store had some of the best prices for low quality Dust that he could think of. No matter the reason, when Jaune needed low-quality dust, or a place to fix his awesome long coat, it was Dust'n'Dusters he'd find himself.

"Howdy John!" The store owner's greeting reached Jaune's ears as he stepped foot into the wood paneled store, the faint smell of cured leather and dust reaching his nose. John Crescent was his name when he was out in public, and he even had a fake identity card to go with it. He couldn't be too careful when he was out and about; Dust only knew if his family was still searching for him, or his friends.

"Heya Bill. How's business going?" Jaune nonchalantly asked.

"Well, what with the other Dust stores getting robbed and Grimm and White Fang on the rise, pretty damn good if I do say so myself!" The owner, named Pecos Bill, was an older fellow. A friendly chap, but there was a reason he was still in business. The man was a terrifyingly good gunslinger and the dual six shooters in his belt had seen a lot of use. The store had been the target of a number of attempted robberies over the past year, but every one of them had been foiled by the unassuming man.

It was he, who taught Jaune the art of firearms, after all. He was an old friend of Thaddeus' and during his grueling, brutal training, there had been at least couple months where Jaune was over at Bill's place almost every day, learning to draw and shoot with unerring accuracy. The two had a strange friendship, one of rare conversation and little knowledge, but an understanding of the other. Sort of like how Jaune and Blake had been during Jaune's stay at Beacon.

And of course, he knew that Jaune was under a false identity, but for appearance's sake, referred to him by the false name in public. "I stopped by to pick up some Red No. 1 for a project."

"Red No. 1? You need a quality grade that low? What, you starting a bonfire or something?" Bill jokingly asked, already reaching under his counter for the requested materials.

"Nah, more like...an art project." Jaune grinned. Bill knew of Jaune's training, but nothing of Thaddeus' or Jaune's private, and illegal private activities. "I'll need...say seven vials?"

"You're a gunslinger _and_ an artist?" Bill asked incredulously.

"I'm a mufti-talented individual. I can also cook, clean, sew and dance."

Bill whistled under his breath. "How are you not being followed by women literally every second you walk?"

Jaune gave a wry chuckle. "For all my skills and talents, I am cursed, _cursed_ I say, with loneliness! For mine is a lonesome path." Jaune finished as hammy as he could, earning a guffaw from the older shop keeper.

"Keep it up Shakespeare, you might be able to throw acting under your resume." Bill quipped dryly.

"Shakespeare?"

"Some writer I know. Thinks he's hot shit. He's not."

"I know those types. So how much I owe you, Bill?"

"It'd be 50 Lien, but seeing how you're a frequent customer, and the best damned student I ever had, I'll knock it down to 35 Lien." Bill grinned cheekily at Jaune, who returned the smile.

"Freakin' deal." Jaune happily shelled out the Lien and shook the man's hand. "Pleasure doin' business with you Bill."

"Likewise. And don't be a stranger! My firing range is always open for you, ya know?"

Jaune paused as he started to walk out the door and gave a thoughtful look. "You know, I might just take you up on that offer soon. I need to get some practice in anyway."

 **[The Cuppa']**

Roman sighed. His day hadn't started off well at all. First, Cinder had called him early, obviously angry about _something,_ something involving a Nevermore? He didn't really pay it much attention, he was nursing a hangover after having another long night with his best pals Captain Morgan and Jack Daniel. Either way, Cinder had started going on about how she wanted to pluck some bird's feathers or something and he simply just made agreement noises until she hung up.

Then, he was visited by Mercury and Emerald, and that was never a treat. They overstayed their welcome, drank the rest of his damn booze (Including the 2008 Triple Oak Barreled Whiskey, the best Lien could buy!) and kept arguing amongst themselves. Apparently they were there to confirm some details about something going on Friday involving Hei Xiong, and that was another thing he dreaded. Junior was a pain in the rear and always thought too highly of himself. Sad thing was though, he was too useful to get rid of, so Roman just had to deal with the headache that came with having to deal with him.

Lastly, he was visited by his partner in crime, Neo. Who promptly teleported in, started eating ice cream, and was busy ranting about something. By the time he actually started turning into her nonstop rambling, the im- _petite_ girl had gone through at least five boxes of her trademark food. He turned to look at her and noticed her actually...crying? Was the world coming to an end? Why did he have to get involved with Cinder in the first place? He was doing well before she came along, and was drinking less. Hell, why couldn't he have people like that blonde kid who came in the previous week as his second? The kid probably would have been a whole hell of a lot less annoying than the rest of his accursed coworkers.

[WHY HASN'T HE CALLED?! Was I too forward? Did he think I was ugly? Does he hate ice cream?!] Neo kept rambling on, only increasing Roman's already growing headache.

"Ugh...why not try calling _him_ instead?" He muttered, trying to pay attention to the news program. Neo started to 'speak' but then stopped and looked strangely at him. "Let me guess. You forgot to exchange contact information before you left, didn't you?"

[S-shut up!] Neo tossed her spoon at Roman's head, bouncing it off of his forehead.

"Ow! Don't hit me for your stupid mistakes! I don't know what your interest in him is anyway! He's just some blonde kid, there's a ton of them in Vale. They're a dime a dozen." Roman took a swig of the cheap, store-brand whiskey he was forced to attain after the two thieves stripped him of his supply earlier.

[Of course you don't understand, you are incapable of love!]

"I am not! I'll have you know I've loved a number of women!" Roman groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was falling down to Neo's level. _I'm losing control of my life, aren't I?_ "Listen, I don't have time to argue with you over your love life. We have business this Friday, apparently. Mercury is coming to pick us up and we're going down to Junior's. Turns out he's got one of those Dust Crystals that Cinder's been so damned insistent on getting her mitts on."

[Who cares about some stupid crystal, or a stupid nightclub.] Neo pouted, crossing her arms and frowning.

Roman felt his eye develop a twitch (a common occurrence as of late) and took another swig of the alcohol. It was at least dulling the pain of his headache, so there was that. "Listen, Cinder's orders. Besides, who knows, maybe short, blond and dorky will be there."

Neo's eyes lit up (and switched positions, Roman _hated_ itwhen she did that.) and she turned to him, practically bouncing in her seat. [You think so? No, he must be there! Fate decrees it!]

Roman shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Fate. Whatever. Just be prepared to threaten Junior so he hands the damned thing over, alright? Oh and Cinder said something about watching out for Nevermores? I didn't think they'd get this far into the city."

Neo raised an eyebrow. [Nevermores? What? How drunk were you?]

"Drunker than I've ever been, but that's besides the point. I know what she said." The orange haired criminal sighed and shook his head. "Why do I get the feeling that this Friday is going to suck?"

[Because you're a little bitch with mental issues and a drinking problem? By the way, we're out of ice cream again. So hop to it little man!] Neo poked him with her parasol, causing Roman to groan and stagger to his feet.

 _Yep. Lost control of my life._

 **[Beacon Academy – Training Grounds]**

 _KLANG! KLANG! BZZT!_

Pyrrah's sword flashed in the bright sunlight of the training grounds as she proceeded to dismantle yet another training bot, dodging almost immediately as another converged on her location, it's own razor sharp blades swishing back and forth. A quick shot from her rifle disabled the creature, using her Semblance to throw her sword in a parabolic arc to slice through multiple other bots who were surrounding her. She was sweating, and her body was covered in wounds from her repeated fights against wave after wave of training bots.

The last one fell as she pierced it with her spear and the lovely Spartan took a deep breath. "Training Program, continue round."

A voice echoed in her ear, "Are you sure?"

"Ye-"

Another voice cut her off. "Belay that." Pyrrah turned around almost vehemently and stopped when she saw Ren standing there, frowning. "How long have you been here?"

Pyrrah frowned. "Since I woke up."

Ren sighed and shook his head. "Pyrrah, you need to stop this."

The flame haired warrior shook her head. "I can't. I need to get better. I should have been able to stop that thief but-"

"Not that. Everything. You've been destroying yourself Pyrrah. This isn't your fault. This isn't anyone's fault. We were unprepared and caught off guard; it won't happen again." Ren put his hands in his pockets and shook his head. "We need you Pyrrah. You can't keep doing this. This is the third day in a row you've been training nonstop and you can't keep going."

"Ren, you don't understand-"

"I understand perfectly Pyrrah. This isn't about the thief, isn't it? This is about Jaune. You're blaming yourself for him leaving still, thinking that if you were stronger you could have kept him here." Ren's expression was sorrowful. "Pyrrah, you need to stop. This isn't anyone's fault. Jaune made his decision. We have to resp-"

"NO!" Pyrrah shouted out, her eyes starting to brim with tears. "I should have said something, anything! I can't stand this Ren, you don't understand! Jaune was...he was..." The Spartan sank to her knees, sniffling. Ren slowly walked over to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I miss him so much Ren. It hurts just as much as it did when he first left..."

"Pyrrah, I know. We all know. Trust me, we miss him just as much as you do. You have no idea how badly I want to hear from him, how much I want to see him again. He was like the brother I never had, and when he left, it took a part of me. Ruby misses him too, and so does Nora. But hurting yourself like this isn't going to help anything. All it's going to do is hurt the team when we need you most."

"Okay, I'll...I'll take a break."

"No." Ren looked down at her firmly. "You need to get out. You need to socialize. I understand that Jaune was the most important person in your life, but you have us too. We're your friends Pyrrah, and seeing you suffer like this hurts us too. I'm not saying to forget him, not at all. I know I never will, but you have to try to move on, at least until we can find more information on him."

Pyrrah looked up at Ren, and he almost recoiled at the utter pain her emerald eyes displayed, still watering. "I try to Ren, but every day I wonder if we'll ever see him again. I wonder if he's even...even..." She couldn't finish her sentence, her eyes starting to water over.

 _Dead._ "He...I'm sure he's fine Pyrrah. If there was one thing about him, it was his stubbornness. He's too bullheaded to die."

"That's the problem Ren! He was always stubborn! He could be out there right now, getting hurt by a Grimm he wasn't prepared to fight! If he stayed, I could have helped him, prepared him! I only wanted to be by his side Ren!" Pyrrah was fully crying now and Ren felt his heart break for the millionth time that year, sinking down next to her to hug his despondent friend.

"Pyrrah, you have to have faith. You already taught him quite a bit during his stay here, so he's not fully under-prepared. Jaune was also a tactical mastermind, so he has that going for him too. I don't know how, but I know he's alright."

" _Then why hasn't he contacted us?!_ " Pyrrah cried out.

"I...I couldn't say. If I had to guess, it's because he's ashamed. Ashamed of running away. Ashamed of failing. He couldn't handle the thought that he'd failed us, and so he ran. Now he might not want to talk to us again for fear we'd judge him harshly."

"D-doesn't he know I'd never do that to him? I knew everything about how he'd cheated his way here and never judged him for that!"

Ren shook his head. "I don't think it's that simple. It's a matter of his own pride and his own desire to become something great. He can't forgive himself for failing, and I think he fears we can't forgive him for running away."

"But...I..."

"Pyrrah, please. For us. Just make an effort. You're our friend. I promise, we're all here for you. You're not alone, not anymore. And who knows, maybe fate will smile on us and give us something about Jaune."

Pyrrah nodded, slowly, still sniffling. "O...okay. I'll try."

Ren smiled warmly at her, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "Thanks, Pyrrah. Listen, this Friday, Yang is inviting all of us to join her at some nightclub called Junior's. They're going to have dancing and drinks and all that. You don't have to be super social or anything like that. Hell, you can join Ruby in the corner of the room being awkward like she usually is." Ren chuckled at that.

Pyrrah gave a weak smile and nodded. "S-sure. I m-might even try a drink myself."

Ren patted her on the back. "Awesome. Yang will be so happy you decided to come along." The green gunman stood up and stretched, before turning away to walk back to the school. As he did, he heard Pyrrah's voice speak up again.

"Thank you...Ren."

Ren looked over his shoulder. "Anytime Pyrrah. And don't worry. I know, in my heart of hearts, that we'll find him again."

Pyrrah looked to the side with a strange look. "That...that's all I've ever wanted."

 _ **Author's Note: Woof! That's a bit of mood whiplash there, ain't it? One minute we're laughing at poor Roman's terrible life, and the next, we get to see more of poor Pyrrah's struggles! And what of this particular series of events? The Phantom Nevermore, Cinder's Minions, Team RWBY and SNPR and Hei Xiong's men all meeting up at the nightclub? I've heard of a Melee a Trois before, but Melee a Quatre? This is going to be one hell of a fustercluck isn't it? Friday is a week away, can Jaune be prepared enough to pull off his first public heist? Who will get away with the Crimson Heart? Will Roman ever be in control of his own life again? And what are Cinder's three sizes!? Most of these questions will be answered soon, same Nevermore time, same Nevermore channel!**_

 _ **And keep up the reviews!**_

 _ **(Oh, and I really love writing Roman and Neo interactions. So much fun, so much pain.)**_


	12. Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt 3)

_I don't own RWBY. You still watching the sky?_

 **Chapter 10: Ever Watch A Bird Dance? (Pt. 3)**

Thaddeus Arc was a light sleeper. It came with the territory of being a thief, and such a well known one. You had to be aware of your surroundings, even while trying to attain rest, and so even the smallest of noises could jolt him out of his slumber. Most times, he could fall right back asleep after dismissing whatever it was, but for some reason he decided to get up and grab a snack. Before he'd gone to bed, he'd noticed Jaune painstakingly attempting to recreate the Crimson Heart, using the alchemy knife with such tender care and precision that the older Arc couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride. Then again, it _was_ three in the morning, and if Jaune was still up…

The bespectacled blond stepped into the living room of the apartment and immediately noticed that it was mostly dark, save for a single lamp in the kitchen, his nephew hunched over his work, still carving away, only stopping to glance at his scroll which was currently plugged into the wall to keep it charging.

Jaune had attained quite the perceptive awareness over his training with Thaddeus, a vital and necessary skill for his own larcenous activities. "Uncle? What are you doing up?"

Thaddeus gave a half smile, half grimace as he spoke. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question? Have you slept at all?"

The younger of the two blonds shook his head. "No. Can't. It's already Monday and I need this thing finished by Tuesday. Wednesday I need to go down to the gym to practice something, and Thursday is when I plan to sneak into Junior's to exchange the real Crimson Heart for the fake one."

"Jeeze...you're really pushing yourself, aren't you?"

Jaune scratched the back of his head. "It's almost done anyway. Luckily Junior can't keep his little gem under wraps and there's pictures all over the Dustnet of the Crimson Heart I can use for reference."

"Sure the weight's the same?"

"Close enough for anyone who isn't an expert in this stuff to not be able to tell the difference." Jaune yawned and shook his head. "Damn it. If this keeps up, I'm going to need a Blue Dust injection just to keep going."

Thaddeus actually glared at Jaune for once, surprising the young blond. "No. That's for emergencies _only._ You know the side effects are absolutely horrendous."

"Yeesh, okay, okay! Energy Drinks it is then."

Thaddeus gave a sigh and opened the fridge, pulling out a to-go container of Eastern food he'd bought the day prior, digging into it with a spoon still cold. "What do you even need to go to the gym for?"

Jaune's expression turned dark, his gaze hidden by his bangs. "I almost lost last time Thaddeus. My former team tore me a new one and if I hadn't spent the entire time taunting them and angering them, or they hadn't fallen for it, I'd have lost. I'm not losing to them, not again. I'm going to prove how much stronger I've become."

"Jaune?"

"I need to figure out my Semblance more. I've only had it for four months, and as useful as it is, there's still aspects to it I need to figure out. Can I channel the stored energy into offensive moves? If so, I might be able to stand a chance against all four of them."

"Offensive capabilities? Sounds useful, but not exactly what I'd call true Phantom Thief style. Brute force is effective, but not very stylish." Thaddeus tapped his spoon against the side of the carton in thought.

"Stylish or not, it matters not if I'm captured."

"This is an ego thing, isn't it?" Thaddeus cocked an eyebrow.

Jaune's head snapped up and for a brief moment, Thaddeus almost saw a heart wrenching glance on his face, a mirror of one he had when they'd first met in the Forever Fall forest. The same kind of despair and desperation that broke Thaddeus' heart and pushed him to help Jaune become the Phantom Nevermore. "I ran away from them Thaddeus, and when you found me, I swore I'd become stronger, that I'd become something incredible."

"Jaune, you already are! How many people can say they've done the things you've done? You're already a thorn in their side! Listen, you're fighting against some seriously crazy opponents. I don't know much about this Team RWBY, but your former team has Pyrrha Nikos on it. Freakin' Pyrrha Nikos! The four time-"

"Mistveil Tournament Champion, I know." Jaune clenched his fist. "Trust me, I know. She was the only reason I was able to survive for more than a day in the Grimm infested wilderness." Jaune's tone was almost bitter in its sound. "I need to prove to her, to them, and to myself, that I'm different now. I want to prove that I'm..."

"Above them? Now you're just getting plain cocky."

"I-" Jaune stopped and sighed, relaxing his fist. "It's not them. It's me. I need this. I need to prove to myself that running from Beacon was the right idea. You said no regrets, well, this way I can settle this. If I can beat them, if I can beat Pyrrha...then I know that I was meant to do this."

Thaddeus sighed, putting his food back into the fridge. "I'm not going to try to talk you out of this. Hell, I'll even help you. In return though, I need you to be careful, and I want you to seriously contemplate one thing for me."

Jaune tilted his head in curiosity. "What?"

Thaddeus started to walk back to his room, silent for a few moments before turning around and fixing Jaune with a steely gaze. "I want you to think about possibly going back to Beacon."

" _What?!_ " Jaune stood up in his seat, almost knocking it over in his haste. His face was one of shock and anger, his tone disbelieving.

"I'm not saying to quit being the Phantom. You're in too deep, and by now, I'm sure you've caught the same bug that had me in it's grip. You were born to thieve. However, I think you staying this far from your friends isn't helping you any. I'm not going to force you, but seriously, give it some thought."

"...Fine. After this heist. I need all my brainpower on this heist if I want to pull it off."

Thaddeus nodded. "Fair enough. Don't stay up too late, okay? We'll make sure to get you to the gym Wednesday."

Jaune's only response was another yawn and a wave of his hand, returning to the task at hand

 **[Tuesday Morning – Junior's]**

Mornings. Tuesday Mornings, specifically, were Junior's least favorite time of day. Tuesday mornings were the least busy time of the week, and the time of the week he made the least money. No one drank on Tuesday Mornings, and certainly no one partied. Not that he'd want some crazy people who wanted to party on a Tuesday Morning, but at the very least, _someone_ could stop by! At least to spend a little Lien, hell, even to just be some company! Melanie and Miltia were sweet as usual, but even they seemed to come down with the doldrums on such a boring occasion. It was something that happened every Tuesday, but this week, with the big event going on Friday, everyone was even more bored than usual.

So it came as quite a surprise when the door to the club opened up slowly, and a young blond man poked his head in, looking around curiously. "Er, hello?" Junior cocked an eyebrow, his gaze flickering to the twins who picked their heads up off the table looking very interested. "Is this Junior's?"

Hei nodded his head, calling out to the kid across the dance floor. "You've come to the right place. I'm Junior, how can I help you?"

The young man stepped fully into the nightclub, dusting himself off. He was wearing a long, silver coat and when he turned around to shut the door behind him, he noticed it was embroidered with a shattered, silvery moon, a small black bird flying across it's main body. When he turned back, he noticed that the young man was...well, quite young. More than likely around the twins' age. He slowly approached the bar, both Melanie and Miltia giving flashing him a charming, hostess style smile. However, the blond seemed to ignore them, sitting down at a stool. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, I'd heard about a big event happening this Friday and was honestly a bit curious to know where this place was located."

"You got it! You looking for a drink?" Junior raised an eyebrow. He didn't need some brat just stepping in and annoying him without spending any Lien. "Actually, are you even old enough to drin-"

Junior's line of questions was stopped when Jaune thrust his identity card out for him to read. It was his false id card, listening him as John Crescent. Junior looked it over before handing it back to Jaune, who slid it back into his pocket. "I'd heard this place had a Strawberry Sunrise that was to die for."

Junior nodded. "Right..." There was something in the back of his head that was annoying him about the kid. For one, he looked...bored? Unamused? The way he carried himself almost seemed to say, ' _Yeah, I know who you are, and I couldn't give less of a damn.'_ Not to mention there was something very...familiar about the kid. Where had he seen him before? If he hadn't seen him, where the hell had he heard the kid's description from? The older man silently began making his drink, fixing the young man with a stare, hoping to unnerve him. Instead, all he got back was an eyeful of steely blue eyes glancing back, not flinching or moving. _Impressive. Kid hasn't been aggressive, just staring me down. He's got...training? I thought I saw a concealed carry holster inside that coat of his. He's packing heat._

Junior 'accidentally' tapped his knee against the counter twice, a silent sign to the twins. ' _Customer's packing heat. Possibly trained.'_ On cue, the twins sidled up to him, sizing him up. "Like, hey there!" Melanie replied, leaning over the counter to get a good look at the young man's face. She had to admit, she liked what she saw. For one, he hadn't started hitting on them first thing, something they'd both gotten tired of. Another was his bravado. Both she and Miltia noticed the young man staring back at Junior without flinching or looking away, so obviously he wasn't afraid to show some backbone. "What's your name cutie?"

Jaune hid his twinge of irritation. He'd been hoping to interrogate Junior about past robbery attempts to possibly formulate a strategy but the twins were going to be a pain. With the most charming smile he could bring on his face, Jaune turned to the white dressed twin. "John Crescent. I'm a bit new around here."

"Oh? What brings you to Vale?" Miltia added. Junior nodded at her with a grin. They were great at gathering information for him.

Jaune gave a wave of his hand and with an airy tone continued, "Moved here with my uncle. He runs a small courier business and he needed the help, so I decided to give him a hand. It's not the most impressive sounding work, but keeps me in shape, so I can't complain." Jaune's story was a practiced one, spoken with confidence and no sign of hesitation.

"Courier?" Miltia queried.

Jaune nodded. "Yep. Packages, letters, ect. Sometimes you don't want to have to deal with snail mail to get a letter across the city because that could take days with the mail system like it is. And, not everyone has access to a Scroll, so people like us pass letters and such. Rooftop express and all that jazz."

The twins giggled. They might have sounded dumb, but they were far from it. They had to be to become Junior's trusted seconds. "Oh, so you must be quite the Parkour expert!"

Jaune's grin widened. "Of course. One can't swing through the urban jungle without knowing the ropes." Junior placed the glass in front of him and Jaune grabbed it, holding it up in front of him with a smile. "Cheers." With that, he took a drink. The taste was far different from the horrible whiskey his uncle had tried to give him, and he gave a sound of approval.

"So are you like, showing up Friday?" Miltia asked, fixing her sister with an amused glance while continuing to speak to Jaune.

"If work allows. You'd be surprised how busy I usually am. Hence, coming here when there's not much going on." Jaune glanced around the room, whistling under his breath. "Hopefully I can though. This place really looks amazing. Like what you've done with it, Junior."

Junior's expression turned up at the young blond's compliments. "Thanks. Had it repaired about a year and half ago when some crazy girl turned up and wrecked the place."

 _Cameras. Three of them, one behind the bar, one behind the DJ station and one above the door._ "Really?" Jaune asked, turning back to Junior with a raised eyebrow. "That sucks. You have my condolences."

Junior chuckled. "Hey, managed to recoup my losses and then some, so it's not all bad."

Jaune nodded. "That's good. I'd have hated to have nothing to do during my stay in Vale."

"So, like, are you single?" Melanie added in, earning a strange look from Junior.

 _I count five guards stationed around the room, judging by their matching suits. Most likely there will be this many during off hours. My best bet is an early morning infiltration, while Junior and the rest are still asleep._ "Me? I am, but...not really looking for anyone. Again, work keeps me too busy to worry about dating. I'd make a terrible boyfriend anyway; My fashion sense is terrible and I have the dance moves of a tortoise." _Pfft, yeah, right. I can mop the floor with you guys when it comes to dancing. Fighting too, I bet._

"Oh? Maybe Miltia and I could help you one day?" Melanie's eyes gleamed green in the florescent lighting from all around.

Jaune shrugged. _Bathrooms on the back left, staff only is back right. This building is at least six floors, and I'm betting this entire place takes up three at most. I'm betting Junior lives upstairs. If I knock him out with a tranquilizer dart while he's already asleep and take the dart with me, I can rifle through his things for the Crimson Heart without anyone being the wiser._ "I'd like that, if time allows." There was a buzzing noise and Jaune gave an annoyed glance, pulling out his Scroll. "Speaking of time, or lack thereof, I'm afraid I must be taking my leave. It was a pleasure meeting all of you." Jaune finished his drink, and extended a hand to Junior.

The bigger man stared at him for a moment before taking it. _Hm. Firm grip. Kid's got gumption. Wonder if I could convince him to join my crew?_ "Nice meeting you too, kid. Hope to see you Friday, we're gonna have a blast."

Jaune stood up and walked away, (leaving behind a disappointed looking Miltia and Melanie) and gave a wave from behind. "Oh, I've got no doubt in that. None at all..." With that, the young man opened the door and walked out into the daylight.

There was silence again for a few moments before Miltia spoke up. "He's cute."

Melanie nodded. "I'll say."

Junior simply shook his head. "There's something about him that seems...familiar? No, I don't think I've seen him before, but I've heard his description somewhere..."

 **[Tuesday Evening – Casa De Arc]**

"...and, finished!" Jaune cried out triumphantly as he held up the gem. It was flawless in his opinion. From every angle, every facet, even the color was perfect. He'd used up a little of the Verdant No. 6 he'd had from his previous mission to give it the unique color that it had, even mixing in a little Azure No. 3 he'd had lying around.

Thaddeus gave a low whistle. "Nice! That's a work of art right there! How do you plan on getting it exchanged for the real one though?"

"Simple. Friday morning, I'm sneaking over to Junior's place as early as possible and exchanging it then. I'm guessing Junior stays at the club upstairs, and knowing his type, he's not the kind of person who'd trust anyone with keeping it secured, so he'll have it on his person."

"Reading people that well, huh? My training must have really stuck with you!" Thaddeus dug into his burrito with gusto when he finished.

"Let's see here, 12 hour training days every day for ten months, with half of them being brutally grueling physical training and the other half being studying until my brains were ready to ooze out my ears? I'd like to think I'd picked up something." Jaune chuckled.

Thaddeus stopped mid bite, frowning. "Wait a minute. If you're exchanging the Crimson Heart early, then how will anyone know you did it? I mean, there's calling cards I guess, but-"

Jaune cut him off with a charming (albeit tired) grin and a dismissive wave of his hand. "Oh, I'm showing up alright. In fact, I had a plan that's going to knock your socks off."

"Oh?"

Jaune's grin grew almost predatory as he explained, "Oh, I'm not going, but the Phantom Nevermore _is_."

Thaddeus eyes widened and his burrito fell out of his hands to the plate below, his expression betraying his shock. "What?! You're going there in person? In public?!"

"Indeed! I'm going to light up the dance floor until the event starts. See, the real Crimson Heart can burn for years if lit on fire, never going out, but the fake Crystal will explode when set on fire, causing some very interesting effects..."

"So when Junior goes to prove it's authenticity..." Thaddeus trailed off, eyes widening in realization.

"Yours truly reveals the ruse and makes his escape in the classiest way imaginable." Jaune finished, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smirk.

Thaddeus started breaking out in peals of laughter, smacking the table as he did so. " _Brilliant! Bloody brilliant!_ " He wiped a tear from his eye and took a deep breath. "You realize I _have_ to show up and see this for myself, right?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way..."

 _ **Author's Note: Three days are left and the plan is in motion to set off the most audacious of heists that Jaune has been in yet, but can he pull this off? Will his name be spread throughout Vale as the newest shadowy threat to stalk the night, or will he be caught, or even killed? I hope you're all prepared, because the curtain is about to rise on a night that no one will ever forget. After all, Jaune is forgetting a very important thing...Information Brokers have notoriously good memories…**_

 _ **Also, if anyone here is an artist, I'd like to request a favor. Would anyone be interested in trying to draw a Phantom Nevermore? I'd love to have it as my avatar, but even my stick figures look terrible.**_

 _ **With that being said, look forward to the next chapter soonish, and remember to leave a review!**_


	13. Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt 4)

_I do not own RWBY. I'm sad that The Blond and the Valkyrie didn't continue any further than it did; I sort of like Jaune x Nora._

 **Chapter 11: Ever Seen A Bird Dance (Pt. 4)**

 **[Friday Afternoon – Casa De Arc]**

"Alright, so I've got three concussion grenades, three clips of tranquilizer darts, my Stun Baton with the Verdant Leaf attached to it, grappling hook, two smoke grenades, four vials of Black No. 4, steel plated boots, my lock picking kit, Scroll and last but not least," Jaune flipped his mask in his hand and tossed it on, his blond hair bleeding into black, "My mask."

Thaddeus nodded. "Sounds like you're set. Think you've got enough practice in with your new techniques?"

Jaune gave a grimace. "Not as much practice as I'd like, but it'll have to do. I've at least learned how to channel the kinetic energy through my feet in a wave, and through my hands, so I should be able to hit like a tank."

"Not bad. At least try to make it look cool though, if you resort to using that."

"I hope I don't have to. I should only have to deal with Junior, his twins and the guards around the place, and they look like a bunch of wimps." Jaune threw on his coat, adjusting the body armor underneath it. "Hopefully RWBY or SNPR don't show up tonight, but if they do..."

"You'll at least be prepared." Thaddeus finished. "I'll actually leave a bit later than you so I'll show up after you do."

"Good idea. We can't be seen together, or suspicion will obviously follow." Jaune slipped on his gloves and gave a sigh.

"You bringing the Crimson Heart with you? The real one, I mean. You did successfully manage to replace it?"

Jaune nodded. "It was _too_ easy. I didn't even have to disable the cameras, I just sped under them. Turns out Junior sucks when it comes to security, there were blind spots all over the place. The guards were either asleep or playing cards, and even the twins didn't bother to get up from their beauty sleep. Junior didn't even wake up when I stuck the dart in his neck, and I made sure to bring it back with me so he didn't even realize he was knocked out. Probably just thought he was extra tired."

Thaddeus smiled. "Excellent. Are you still bringing it with you though?"

"Wisdom says I should leave it here. Style says I should bring it with me to show it off one the fake one goes boom."

"So..."

Jaune frowned. "Come on Thaddeus, what was rule number one of being a Phantom Thief?"

" _If it can't be done in style, it's not worth doing at all._ " Thaddeus quoted himself, looking sagely, shortly before devolving into chuckles. "This is going to be a night to remember."

"Tell me about it. Well, I'll catch you later. I need to show everyone there that I'm the not only the number one Phantom Thief currently in Vale, but the number one dancer as well." Jaune waved to his uncle and walked out the apartment door. He made his way up the stairs up to the roof, opening the door and looking around. The sun was barely above the horizon, casting its orange light across all of downtown Vale. He stretched, unable to keep the smile from his lips and he made his way to the side of the roof overlooking a nearby alleyway. With no pomp or circumstance behind it, Jaune simply stepped off the edge of the building and landed in the alley below, his Semblance absorbing the energy from the fall, filling him with the almost electric inferno that filled him with vitality. He was ready. Tonight, the Phantom Nevermore would make his name public...

 **[Friday Afternoon – Beacon Academy – Bullhead Dock]**

"Everyone ready?!" Yang cheered, pumping her fist in the air as she flashed her surrounding teammates with a brilliant smile.

"Yeah!" Ruby shouted, pumping her own fist excitedly.

"Of course!" Weiss agreed, crossing her arms and nodding.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Blake added in, unable to keep her own lips from turning upwards in anticipation.

"Team JNPR?" Yang asked.

"Ready and waiting!" Nora cried out, practically hopping up and down where she stood. Ren simply smiled and shook his head in exasperation.

"As Blake put it, ready as we'll ever be." Ren quipped dryly.

Yang turned to Pyrrha, who looked a bit nervous, clutching her upper arm with her other hand. "You ready P-money?"

Pyrrha gave a nervous smile. "S-sure. I don't think I'll be doing much dancing though..." She looked to the side, unable to meet Yang's gaze.

"No problem P-money. At least you'll be getting out of Beacon with us for once." Yang's smile was softer and she approached the Spartan, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "Trust me, this will be good for you." Pyrrha simply gave another nervous smile and nodded, slowly.

"So, Blake, you wanna dance when we get there?" Sun grinned, wriggling his eyebrows at the cat Faunus.

Blake's reaction was only to raise an eyebrow and give a sigh. "Let's wait until we get there before you start bugging me about that, alright?"

Sun nodded, saluting goofily. "You got it!"

The Bullhead before them finally opened its doors, and the pilot's voice spoke up from inside. "Everyone aboard! We'll be heading down into Vale, and the last ship will be returning at 2am tonight, so make sure you're back in time!"

"You heard him, let's go!" Yang shouted, marching onto the aircraft, the rest of Team RWBY following closely behind. "This is gonna be a great night!"

 **[Friday Evening - The Cuppa']**

"So, everyone ready to party?"

Roman groaned as he saw Mercury poking his head into the room. "No."

"Aw, come on Roman! Have a little fun! You can't keep cooping yourself up in here and drinking your life away!" Mercury smirked.

"Watch me." Roman took a swig of his whiskey and staggered to his feet. "Besides, I can't drink myself away, _you_ keep drinking all my damned booze!"

"Details, details. Neo, you ready?" Mercury asked, fixing the petite girl with a stare.

Neo grinned and nodded. She was dressed to the nines, wearing a fancier version of her outfit complete with a pink corset with brown string, a short pink miniskirt and matching stiletto boots. She'd made sure she looked her best, having combed her hair painstakingly and wearing a lovely shade of red on her lips. Even Roman had to admit, she looked nice, not that he'd ever admit it. [More than ready! I'll go ahead, grab the Heart, and grab Jaune's heart while I'm at it.] She finished her speech with a silent giggle, earning a groan from Roman. [Hey, shut up you! Just do your job!]

Roman fixed his pint-sized partner with an irritable glower. "Same to you." He turned back to Mercury, (pointedly ignoring how his partner was sticking her tongue out at him and glaring) and sighed. "Did Cinder tell you about the Nevermores?"

"Nevermores?" Mercury looked confused. "How drunk were you?"

Roman facepalmed, the sound of his hand meeting his face echoing through the small basement room. "Drunker than I've ever been, but I know what I've heard!"

"Er, she said the Phantom Nevermore." Mercury corrected.

"Great, so there's ghost Grimm now?"

Mercury resisted the urge to facepalm himself. "Er, no. Some thief's been running around stealing the last couple of Dust Crystal's we've been trying to get our hands on. Some of Adam's men have reported a masked figure introducing himself as the Phantom Nevermore and was responsible for causing havoc at at least two different storage facilities."

"One of Ozpin's men?" Roman cocked an eyebrow, his smaller partner mirroring his expression.

"Nope. A third party. Someone else wants these Crystals for some reason or another. Cinder's expecting him to show up at Junior's later on tonight, so she wants us to be prepared to teach him a lesson. Or possibly recruit him if we can."

"Great. Just what we need, more thieves."

Mercury actually frowned at that. "That's what Emerald and I said. We don't need competition, especially from some comic book character. We'll make sure he doesn't steal again, that's for certain." Mercury's expression was an angry one, and even Neo looked slightly unnerved. Roman hated to admit it, but Mercury was a scary man when actually enraged, and if his anger was directed to someone other than Roman, then the orange-haired crime boss was all to happy to let him vent it somewhere else.

"Well, let's be on our way then. Looks like we've got a date with a birdy." Roman quipped, swinging Melodic Cudgel around in his hand, smiling.

 **[Friday Evening – Junior's]**

" _...like a fever I will take you down!"_ The lyrics to the song finished, but there was silence on the dance floor. Everyone, from Junior, to the twins, to the civilians all crowded around the tables and bar were staring in complete shock at what they'd just witnessed. It had been odd to see the avian masked man stroll into the room, and many people including Junior himself looked unnerved, the question on everyone's mind being the same. _Is he part of White Fang?_ However, the black hair atop his head revealed no ears, and he had no tail of any sort. Even more confusing, the man was quite personable, chatting up random strangers, flirting with every woman he came across and when the DJ had finally recovered from his own shock, putting on a song, everyone was treated to a show they thought they'd never see.

The man had pulled off some of the most amazing dance moves they'd ever been witness to. Melanie and Miltia were utterly stunned, never having seen anyone dance like him. His moves were fast, fluid and flowing and utterly perfect. The man with the feathered coat was tearing up the dance floor with ease and panache, and by the time the song was finished, every man, woman and illegal teen who'd snuck in was staring, slack jawed, at the man, who himself was grinning ear to ear.

"Thank you, thank you, all of you! You're all such lovely people!" The Nevermore masked man bowed low around the room, flashing a smile full of perfect white teeth.

The room suddenly errupted in cheers and applause, everyone who was sitting got to their feet, and began to surround the thief, bombarding him with questions from every angle. _Are you single? Where did you learn to dance? What's your name? Can I buy you a drink? Why do you have a pistol?_ Jaune simply smiled and waved his hand. "Please, everyone, one at a time! I am but one, simple, humble man with god like dance moves." He chuckled and began to make his way through the club to the bar, flashing Junior his charming grin. "Junior! I've heard _so_ much about you! Your place is incredible! And these lovely ladies here, you must tell me your names!"

Melanie and Miltia gave each other a smile and a giggle. "I'm Miltia Malachite." Miltia replied, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"And I'm Melanie Malachite." Melanie placed a hand on his other shoulder, earning a low chuckle from the masked man.

"Ooh, sisters? My my, Junior, you keep such exquisite company!" The thief replied in a cheerful tone of voice.

Junior was taken aback by the man who approached him with all the manner and speech of an old friend. "Do...do I know you?"

"Me? No, but I know of you. Then again, who hasn't heard of Hei Xiong, the information broker and nightclub owner? You are quite well known, after all." The masked man gave another charming grin.

Junior grinned widely. "Of course! You had some crazy moves out there...tell you what," The large man reached behind the counter and pulled out a bottle, and began to mix a drink quickly in front of him before putting the glass before the thief. "It's on the house. You seriously really tore it up out there."

"Hehe, I'll say!" Melanie giggled.

"Oh, you are all just too kind!" The masked man took a drink. _Blech! Tastes like turpentine! Why the hell do people like this shit?_ He hid his disgust and shook his head. "Very good, Junior. You really know how to mix a drink!"

"What can I say, it's an art form." Junior not so modestly replied.

"A multi-talented figure! No wonder you're so well respected!" The man continued, earning an even bigger grin from the information broker.

"Oh, come on now, you're gonna make me blush!" Junior laughed. "You got a name, stranger?"

The crimson eyes of the mask gleamed almost threateningly in the florescent lighting of the club. "Oh, don't worry Hei Xiong. You'll find out by the end of the night."

Junior began to speak up in confusion as to what he meant, when the door of his club burst open and in stepped the girl from his nightmares. "Oh god no..." He whispered.

Yang burst onto the floor, grinning widely. "Oh yeah, now this is what I'm talking about!"

Funneling in behind her, the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR stepped in, glancing about the room with eager smiles (Or in Pyrrha's case, a nervous look.) However, they all stopped dead, expressions dropping and turning downright hostile when they spotted the masked and cloaked figure sitting merrily at the bar. "YOU!" The two teams shouted angrily, pointing at the thief.

Jaune couldnt' help but grin wider and he stood up, strolling over to them casually. "My lovelies! How wonderful to see you all here!"

Ruby stepped forward, readying Crescent Rose for deployment. "You've to some nerve coming here!"

Jaune put a hand to his chest, acting hurt. "Moi? You can't be serious! I'm simply here to relax, have fun, enjoy myself! It's such a lovely night, there's no reason to fight!"

Yang pounded her fists together, earning a very nervous look from the patrons surrounding them, as well as Junior and the twins. Junior began to reach under his bar, readying his own weapon, watching the two groups like a hawk. "Oh? I'd like to think otherwise. After all, you _are_ a th-"

The Phantom closed the distance between them and put up a finger, his voice low so only the two Teams could hear him. "Ah ah ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you. If things were to get violent, I'd have to wonder how the civilians in the area would deal with it..." Jaune kept his tone calm, letting them infer the meaning behind his words.

Everyone narrowed their eyes in a hateful glare at this. "You...you coward..." whispered Ruby.

"C-coward?! I'm hurt! Wounded!" Jaune stumbled back, clutching his chest. "To think that you'd use such horrible words! My heart...she is wounded..." Jaune put his hand on a nearby wall, leaning over, looking dramatic and downtrodden.

Ren rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm _sure_ you're hurt..."

Nora glared more viciously. "Not yet he isn't."

"Now now, let's put the past behind us! We're all here to have fun and enjoy ourselves! You have my sincerest word that I'm not here to steal anything. I'm simply here to watch Junior, our wonderful host, celebrate his latest acquisition!"

"Like we can trust you?" Blake dryly snapped.

The Phantom frowned. "I may not be on the up and up, but I _am_ a man of my word. I'm not an ordinary thief," he explained, keeping his voice low, "I'm a Phantom Thief. There's a _big_ difference. Putting me in the same category of Torchwick and Black only pisses me off."

Even Pyrrha looked surprised at how suddenly his friendly, casual act dropped and was replaced by what sounded like genuine anger. "Difference?"

"Hmph. I run by my own rules, my own morals. I never kill, I never steal from those who don't deserve it and I never lie. I'm not asking you to join me, but I _am_ asking you to lay off for a while. We're all here to relax, so put down your weapons. When I was warning you about the civilians, I wasn't referring to myself." The Phantom put his hands in his pockets, still frowning deeply.

"Wait, what?" Ruby looked confused.

"Please, you're Hunters. You're incapable of avoiding collateral damage. In your zeal to capture me, you'd only end up hurting the others around you. And if you think I'd simply just give up and come quietly, you'd be completely wrong. So for the time being, enjoy your night and let it go."

Yang's jaw dropped. "You...you're actually _concerned_ about the civilians?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

The two teams all fixed each other with confused glances. "Er...well...if you're not here to steal anything..."

The thief waved his hand dismissively. "I give you my word, I shall steal nothing today. Well, except maybe the dance floor, but I'm afraid you got here too late to witness that." He flashed a smile and turned on his heel, waving his hand. "Now if you'll all excuse me, there is a pair of twins who I've been yearning to know better."

Before he could get much further, he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder, and his body tensed. _Shit, do not start something! Not now!_ "Oh no you don't birdy. You're gonna dance with me." Yang's voice reached his ears, playful and low. Jaune couldn't help but smile.

"Oh? Think you can keep up?" He replied, just as playfully.

"Please, I could out dance you in my sleep. If you stole the dance floor..." Yang moved past him as the crowd's eyes followed the buxom brawler. "Then I aim to steal it back!"

Jaune grinned and he proceeded to follow the blond woman onto the dance floor. "Oh, Ms. Xiao Long, you shouldn't make promises your body can't cash."

Team RWBY and JNPR fixed each other with eager grins, all except for Pyrrha, whose eyes were busy watching the clock. The time was an hour til midnight, and something deep inside told her that the night had only just begun...

 _ **Author's Note: I admit it. I'm terrible. I give you a new chapter, and still keep you in suspense. But I promise, next chapter all hell will break loose. We have our players, we have our main character, and the play is about to start. A dance off between Yang and Jaune? Mercury, Roman and Neo ready to take down the Phantom Nevermore? And what will Junior do when it's revealed that the Crimson Heart in his possession is a fake?**_

 _ **Also, I'm sure many of you are wondering why I didnt' cover the infiltration into Junior's Friday Morning, but I saw it as a bog-standard infiltration, one that Jaune could do in his sleep, so I've decided not to cover it since it'd be a lot of 'Jaune sneaks silently around until he gets to Junior's room, snipes him with a dart and exchanges gems.' Nothing exciting was planned for that particular scene, so I decided simply to skip it to get the fun sooner. Look forward to Ever Seen A Bird Dance (Final Part) soon!**_

 _ **And keep the reviews coming!**_


	14. Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt 5)

_I do not own RWBY. Special shout out to garoorar for pointing out Jaune (and Thaddeus') mistake. If you couldn't already tell, Jaune suffers from the sin of Superbia (Pride), not Avaritia (Greed.) This chapter is going to highlight the consequences of it. By the way, the song being played in this is Mass Destruction – Reincarnation. I do not own that either, that is from Persona 3._

 **Chapter 12: Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Pt. 5)**

The crowd held their breath collectively as the masked man and the busty brawler made their way back to the dance floor. Junior was a smart man, he knew something was about to go down, something that might make his nightclub even more popular and guarantee a massive returning turnout. With a grin, he fixed the bear masked DJ with a nod and the DJ prepared to start up something good for the two dancers.

"So, Phantom, care to make a bet?" Yang asked as she stood opposite of him, smirking confidently.

"On a contest I'm guaranteed to win? Sounds a bit foolish if you ask me, unfair, even." Jaune's smile was a mirror of Yang's own. He began to give a few experimental shakes, his coat undulating in interesting patterns as he did so.

"Sounds like the words of a man whose too afraid he'll lose, but too cocky to admit otherwise." Yang retorted, doing her own pre-dance warm up.

"Oho! Ms. Xiao Long, I do believe you're trying to rile me up...what would be the terms of this bet?" The Phantom cheerily responded, brushing off the insult with ease.

"Simple. I win, you give up and come back quietly. You said you like games, right?" Yang asked, raising one eyebrow.

"And if I win?"

Yang's smile widened. "I give you my number."

The Phantom gave a loud laugh. "Why, I'd say that you'd win either way, Ms. Xiao Long!"

"Maybe I would. Oh, and you can call me Yang, honey. Of course, you might remember it easier after you've been screaming it in ecstasy..." Yang's voice dipped low and sultry at the end, fixing the thief with a burning stare.

Jaune was damned glad he had more willpower, it was taking most of it not to choke in surprise at Yang's forwardness. "Oh, now you're just being naughty..." He pointed at the DJ, his own gaze still locked onto Yang's. "Maestro? Play me off." The DJ nodded and his hands quickly flicked across his turntable, flipping through music until he reached the right song, and pressed play, the entire crowd watching in fascination, moving not a muscle.

 _I don't care anymore, enough of fake smiles_ _  
_ _Buckwild I go, tried it on but it didn't fit me so_ _  
_ _Found a better pair of shoes to walk_ _  
_ _Even in defeat, hold my pride, never gonna talk_ _  
_ _Better yet, my mouth is tight like James Bond_ _  
_ _You thought you saw me, but next second I'm gone_ _  
_ _I don't want no throne_ _  
_ _I'm a freelancer_ _  
_ _Do for benjamins, but I'm not a gangster_

The crowd couldn't get enough. The thief and the blonde were giving it their all, a duo of the smoothest moves. Team RWBY and SNPR stood, jaws on the floor. They knew Yang could dance, but this was incredible! Even more incredible was that the masked man was keeping up with her, forcing her to give her best moves to avoid looking bad before the crowd. They'd join up, separate, take turns dancing, everything. Ruby herself couldn't help but blush a bit at just how... _dirty_ her sister was dancing, as though she were trying to seduce the thief through her motions.

The masked man though was showing off his skills in acrobatics, his footwork utterly impeccable and flawless. He'd spin, duck, twist, flip and even performed a flawless moonwalk much to the club's delight. His coat billowing dramatically behind him, he was the picture of mystery, style and panache. Even the Beacon students couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the sheer charisma oozing off the Phantom Thief as he danced to the beat.

 _Once again, I'm back in the lab_ _  
_ _Cleaning my knives, ready for stabs_ _  
_ _I never committed a crime I had to_ _  
_ _Out of necessity, I done couple_ _  
_ _I plead guilty to lord in the chapel_ _  
_ _Forgiveness given cuz I don't look for trouble_ _  
_ _Instead it finds me_ _  
_ _And what I do is fight back_ _  
_ _Never look back the past, 'cuz it hurts to think back_ _  
_ _I pray to God, 'cuz I'm still paranoid today_

Yang and the thief approached each other, both grinning confidently as they continued their dance, this time involving the other a bit more. Yang bumped and grinded against him, while the thief seemed to enjoy twirling her about acrobatically, occasionally finding herself in his arms as he flashed her a very charming smile.

 _(Can't lean back)  
Now its over  
Survival of the fittest time for me to take over  
I was lenient, but games over  
Mass destruction is now our slogan  
Just won't do things in slow-mo  
Fast life, fast money, kinda like promo_

 _(Break down)  
Still get it going on  
I am the next ruler of the python  
Don't be scared of biting, I'm not a Tyson  
Right on! I'm the hurricane in the ocean  
About to land disturbing the peace, it's a war zone  
You best took it serious when you heard the tone._

As the music played and the light's flashed, it became soon apparent that neither the thief, nor Yang was noticing anyone but each other at the time. They seemed wholly focused on each other, enjoying their dance more and more as the dance continued, the music swelling to it's climax. As the seconds ticked on, everyone was unable to speak until the final note played, the thief having grabbed Yang and tilted her over in an almost intimate way, his face inches from hers.

Yang grinned, her eyes low lidded. "Hmm...I think I might have lost..." She purred, her own arms wrapped around him as she was lowered slightly.

"You don't seem to mind too much, Yang." The masked man's tone was just as low, tinged with mischievousness, earning a very pleased smile from the blond woman.

"Maybe I don't..." The two stared at each other, and Yang couldn't help but bring her face closer, her own lips slowly reaching towards his. Ruby's eyes widened. Was her sister seriously going to kiss the thief? She was into him?! The rest of her teammates, including Team JNPR looked utterly stunned at this turn of events. Were they seriously going to kiss? The crowd continued to watch as the two brought their faces closer and closer…

Until the thief suddenly grabbed Yang by the hand and spun her around away from him as the music stopped, giving a bow, still holding Yang's hand. She bowed as well, her own face trying unsuccessfully to hide a sheepish and irritated grin. The crowd erupted into cheers and laughter, applauding thunderously. "Thank you, thank you!" The thief cried, letting go of Yang and bowing again.

Yang fixed the thief with a very annoyed glower. "You are _such_ a tease."

"Ah, but that's what keeps you interested, isn't it?" The thief replied, unable to keep the smile off of his face. Yang couldn't help but smile back.

"Looks like I owe you something, doesn't it?" Yang smirked.

The masked man waved his hand. "I'm afraid you're going to have to try harder than that to get my number, Yang. I call you and you have a connection. I'm afraid as a Phantom, I can't be so easily tied down."

The blond huffed and snapped her fingers. "That's just unfair!"

"Oh, you should realize by this point that I never play fair..." The masked man grinned and strolled casually away from the busty fighter, leaving her there to pout.

"Were you...I mean..." Ruby stammered out, approaching her sister.

Yang shrugged. "'dunno. If he went for it...maybe. Maybe we were just testing the other." She stretched, her expression adopting an ambivalent look. "I really need to work on my dance moves though." She flashed her teammates a grin. "Anyone want to help?"

Jaune, meanwhile, made his way to the side of the room, leaning against the wall and folding his arms across his chest. He began to finalize his plans, glancing about the room to figure out where everyone was located. The back wall, right beneath the DJ's booth, had a small, chest high pillar with a velvet sheet covering it, which was what Jaune was guessing was the fake Crimson Heart. _Alright. Once midnight strikes you'll need to figure out how you're going to pull this off. Let's see...stay here. Once the ruse is revealed, Junior is going to have everyone open fire. Hopefully the civilians will leave once the fake Crimson Heart blows up. RWBY and SNPR should be able to take care of the remaining ones. Junior will have his men open fire. Let them. Absorb as much energy as possible, then take out Junior's men. Hopefully neither RWBY or SNPR will interfere._

The thief's musings were interrupted by a flicker of color in his peripheral and he glanced up, to find himself staring at the narrowed eyes of his former team as they approached him. Sun was grinning, but Jaune was beginning to suspect that Sun was almost impossible to straight up anger. "Ah, Team SNPR!" He greeted cheerfully.

Ren's eye twitched angrily, his expression growing more irritated. " _It's Team JNPR!_ "

"Still missing a letter!" Jaune taunted in a singsong voice. Jaune felt a twinge of panic shoot through his body at Pyrrha's wrathful glare, her fists clenching in rage. Nora and Ren didn't look too happy either, Nora clenching her teeth and Ren's eye twitching even harder. "Ugh, you are all so tense. You need to learn how to relax, like Mr. Wukong there!" Jaune quipped cheerfully. "Now that's a Faunus who knows how to keep it chill."

Sun's grin grew. "Dude, thanks!"

"Sun?" Ren added quietly, "Stop being friendly with the thief."

Sun looked bashful for a moment before adopting an angry look that simply looked comedic on his face. "Oh yeah, dude, you're taunting Jaune here! Not cool dude!"

"You all _do_ recall what I said earlier, don't you? You wouldn't want to start anything here. With the number of civilians in here, the collateral damage would be immense...don't think Ozpin would be too happy if a few of his students end up hurting innocents trying to hunt a thief who hadn't done anything..." Jaune brushed some invisible dust off of his shoulder, his voice a bored drawl.

 _WHAM!_ Jaune's taunting speech was cut off violently as Pyrrha grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall, eyes narrowed in unspeakable anger. "Hiding behind civilians won't help you!" 

_Pyrrha…you need to calm down. Maybe if I gave her a hug-What?! No! The hell am I thinking?!_ Jaune shook his head and forced her hand off him. "I'm going forget you did that before I start causing a scene. I highly suggest you enjoy the rest of your night and leave me in peace." Jaune kept his voice low, trying to infer a threat he didn't plan on going through with. He walked away, rudely brushing past Ren and made his way towards the entrance of the nightclub, resting against the wall near the door as he glanced at the clock.

"Excuse me?"

 _Alright, so I'm close to the door, so I should be able to absorb the damage and flicker on out of here once the shooting starts. No, wait. The civilians might be caught in the crossfire._ Jaune began to walk away, moving towards the side opposite the bar when the voice spoke up again. "Excuse me! Mr. Thief!"

Jaune turned on his heel, in irritation, then stopped and blinked. It was Ruby. "Ah, my apologies Ms. Rose, I was distracted by some internal thoughts. How can a humble avian aid you tonight?"

"You really aren't here to steal anything?" Ruby's eyes were skeptical.

"You have my word, Ms. Rose. I was simply here to enjoy myself. Dance. Mingle."

Ruby narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but eventually nodded, her lips turning up in a friendly smile. "Great! Um, can I ask you something?" She tilted her head, her silver eyes bright with curiosity.

"Of course, Ms. Rose!"

"Um...why are you a thief?"

Jaune grinned. He'd been waiting for someone to ask him something like this for a while. "Ms. Rose, one word. Freedom. The freedom to follow my own ethics and my own morals. The freedom to make my own decisions. The freedom to become anyone I wish to be."

"But...people get hurt! You're taking things that don't belong to you!"

"Better in my hands than the hands of the White Fang." He retorted, earning a very strange look from Ruby's face. Before the young reaper could give her own answer, a flash of white appeared before Jaune and he found himself staring into the narrowed, glaring eyes of Schnee Weiss.

"You! You stay away from Ruby!" Weiss's tone was frosty and her gaze steely, looking very displeased with the thief's appearance.

"Um, Weiss? I approached him." Ruby meekly replied.

"I-Ruby! Stay away from him! He's dangerous, and he's a charlatan!" Weiss pointed at Jaune who rolled his eyes.

"Charlatan? Welcome to the present, Ms. Schnee. We have more interesting insults if you'd be bothered to learn them." Jaune's tone was drier than the Vacuo Wastes. Weiss' only response was to give a 'Hmph!' and quickly drag Ruby away amid a stream of Ruby's complaints. Jaune sighed inwardly and shook his head, staring back at the clock, feeling his heart beating. _Half an hour..._

 **[Friday Evening – Five Minutes to Midnight – Junior's]**

The music stopped. The civilians stood around, waiting with baited breath as the large man made his way to the front of the dance floor, grinning widely. "Ladies and gentlemen. I am proud to have you all gathered here today to celebrate my latest, and greatest acquisition. Before you, a one of a kind Crystal made from the purest Dust to ever be found on Remnant. This gem has been traded back and forth between the hands of royalty and heroes, and at long last, has found itself into my hands. May I present to you, the Crimson...Heart." With that, Junior grabbed the velvet sheet and yanked it off, revealing a glass case, locked and barred. Sitting on a velvet pillow, glimmering in the lighting above and below, was the Crimson Heart.

The crowed all whispered excitedly to themselves, as Junior smirked proudly. "I'm sure all of you here would like me to test it's authenticity. Well, at midnight, the security system on this will disable and I'll be able to prove it to you by lighting it on fire! A simple Dust Crystal would burn to cinders quickly once lit on fire, but this will burn for years if allowed!"

 _Nope. It goes boom. Adding Crimson and Verdant dust is a great way to make a bomb, after all. Though don't know if the Azure would do anything. Maybe make it a fancy fireball?_ Jaune's heart continued to pound as the seconds became minutes, everyone around unable to contain their excitement. The thief noticed that Team RWBY and SNPR were all staring at him, waiting for him to make a move, but he simply smiled that annoyingly cheerful smile of his and relaxed against the wall.

Eventually, the clocked ticked midnight, and a chime pealed, echoing through the room as the glass case surrounding the jewel slowly unfolded like a flower, revealing the red crystal within. "Everyone, please, watch carefully..." Junior reached into his vest pocket and withdrew a book of matches, lighting one up. The twins stood nearby, smiling a mirrored smile as they stepped back, letting Junior through. Slowly, he reached his hand out, placing the match above the Crystal and with equal slowness began to bring it down onto the Crystal itself.

…

…

 _ **BOOOM!**_

As Jaune expected, the Crystal itself suddenly exploded, a blue fireball erupting from the pedestal where the fake Crystal laid. Junior himself was thrown back violently, slamming into the wall nearest the bar with a cry of pain. Civilians started to panic and began to rush out the door, screaming in terror. Team RWBY and SNPR both looked shocked and began to quickly aid the civilians out the door as Jaune expected. With a quick aside glance, Jaune happened to notice, sitting in the very corner of the room with an amused smirk, was Thaddeus.

Once Jaune was confident that everyone still inside the bar was either from Beacon or Junior's men, he stepped forward, applauding cheerfully. "Bravo, bravo! You never told me there'd be fireworks!"

Everyone froze, and Junior, getting up with help from the twins suddenly glared at the masked man. "You...you have something to do with this!"

Jaune put a hand to his chest. "Moi? Why would you say such a thing?! Perhaps you had a fake all along."

"Bullshit!" Junior roared. "I tested that thing out the moment I paid for it! It's the real deal!"

Team SNPR, who'd just gotten back inside from helping the dancers and partygoers outside safely, glared out onto the dance floor where the thief stood to one side. "Oh, you did?"

"You. You must have stolen it while you were here! You lied to us!" Ruby yelled, her fellow teammates all pulling out their weapons.

"Excuse me? Are you calling me a liar?! I did no such thing!" The Phantom snapped angrily, once again taking everyone aback.

"Wait, you know this clown?" Junior asked, pointing to the masked man.

"Yeah. He calls himself the Phantom Nevermore, a thief who's been running around stealing the seven Pure Dust Crystals." Ren replied, never once taking his eyes off the Phantom.

"At your service." Bowing, the thief smiled widely.

"Where is it?!" Junior roared angrily. The black and red suited men began to pull out various weapons. Swords, axes, pistols, rifles, machine guns and much more were pointed in the masked man's direction.

"Oh, you mean this?" Jaune's smile grew as he pulled out the true Crystal, letting it shine amidst the light above, painting his mask with a blood red light.

"So you did steal it!" Nora exclaimed, pointing angrily at him.

"Excuse me, pray tell, when did I have time to steal it tonight with all of you looking at me? I did not such thing." Jaune replied, in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Er..." Nora stopped and blinked, looking confused.

"I simply stole it earlier this morning and replaced it with a fake I so lovingly crafted." He replied, smiling cheerfully.

Silence reigned for a few brief moments, then. "Shoot him." Junior's voice was as clear as it was threatning. Within seconds, the room was filled with the thunderous sounds of gunfire as every one of his men opened fire on the thief, hundreds of bullets spraying all over him. Another sound could be heard as every bullet was unloaded at the thief, but by the time the men all over the room found themselves pulling triggers on empty firearms, it was too last.

"NO!" Ren shouted. "YOU'VE ALL JUST FED HIS SEMBLANCE!"

Jaune chuckled, staring down at the pile of bullets that had simply dropped down to the ground below him. "You know, I think that last shot almost got me. You should try it again." Everything was going according to plan. All he'd have to do was to rush his way out of there with a taunting quip, and he'd be out of there with his name public, and Team RWBY and SNPR with egg on their faces.

Of course, that _was_ the plan, until the doors to the club burst open, and standing front and center, were Mercury Black, Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan, all smiling widely. "Junior!" Mercury replied cheerfully. "So good to see you. Er...is this a bad time?"

Junior stepped back in shock. "M-Mercury Black?! The hell are you doing here?" He gripped his rocket bat tighter. "What the hell do you want?"

"Simple. We're here for the Crimson Heart. We will, of course, be willing to pay a sizable sum if you are willing to simply give it to us without argument." Mercury continued. Neo surveyed the room and gave a sad, silent sigh as she noticed it didn't contain the man she'd been dreaming of seeing once more.

"Oh, really? _Then you'll have to take it up with that asshole over there!_ " Junior shouted wrathfully, pointing a finger in the Phantom's direction.

With that, Cinder's forces turned towards the Phantom Nevermore, whose own smile dropped when he laid eyes on the three hardened criminals, then to the Beacon students, then to Junior and his men.

 _Well. This can't end well._

 _ **Author's Note: Okay, so I might have lied a little. I underestimated how long it would take to get through this particular part of this arc, so I'm afraid that you'll have to wait one more chapter for the conclusion. All of our players are here though, and it looks like Jaune messed up indeed on assuming that he knew everything, as well as bringing the Crimson Heart actually with him! With three sides all conspiring against him, can Jaune pull a victory out in time, or will he face defeat? Unfortunately, his biggest mistake however has already been made before he stepped foot into the club, and the consequences will soon be made manifest. Get ready, because this ride's just getting started...**_


	15. Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Final Part)

_I don't own RWBY._

 **Chapter 13: Ever Seen A Bird Dance? (Final Part)**

 _Shit. Shit shit shit. This is not good. I wasn't even expecting RWBY and SNPR to be here, much less Cinder's people! Alright, let's use our heads…_ Jaune glanced about the room, gauging the current atmosphere. Everyone was frozen in place, unsure as to who was going to make the first move.

"So...you must be the infamous Phantom Nevermore..." Mercury frowned, scratching his chin. He looked relaxed, but one look at his eyes told Jaune that Mercury wasn't there to make friends.

"So famous already...it's good to be the best." Jaune taunted. _Shut up, me! You're going to die with your mouth running! Someone's got to make the first move, it might as well be you. Maybe if you go after Cinder's people, RWBY and SNPR will jump in behind you. Shit, is that Neo?! This isn't good...I should just run. Cut my losses and…_ he shook his head. _No. No more running. You are NOT running again!_

"The best?" Mercury's tone grew icy cold. "Kid, I think you don't understand exactly what you've gotten yourself into. You're just a rookie who thinks he hit the-" Jaune's body flickered out of view, and in the same instance, reappeared...his steel plated boot slamming right into the wall mere centimeters from Mercury's head, causing cracks to spiderweb across the back wall from the sheer force of the blow.

 _I...missed?!_ Jaune couldn't believe it; he'd performed a flying kick at something approaching t he speed of a bullet train. How the hell had Mercury dodged it? Unfortunately, his train of though was quickly interrupted when something slammed into his back with horrifying force, and a gunshot rang out in his ears as agony blossomed in his back.

Team RWBY and SNPR all winced when they watched as Mercury not only dodged the almost instantaneous jump kick, but retaliated with a bone breaking kick to the back, unleashing a shot with his gun-greaves. "Who...who do we help?" Ruby asked, watching in surprise.

"As much as I'd like to take down the Phantom, Mercury and the rest are the bigger threat." Ren replied, pulling out Stormflower.

"Understood!" Nora whipped out Magnhild while Pyrrha and Sun drew their own weapons.

Mercury glanced to the side, noticing the Beacon students readying and sighed. "Oh jeeze, I don't have time for this. Neo, Roman, keep them busy."

[You aren't the boss of me!] Neo snapped.

"Damn it Neo, just listen to him! Besides, you might be able to kill one of them. You were close to getting rid of the blond, weren't you?" Roman replied cheerily. With Mercury around, this mission might as well have been over.

[Hey, you're right!] Neo perked up again, twirling her parasol happily.

 _What?_ Jaune groaned as he slowly stood to his feet. _Over my dead body!_ The thief reached into his holster and pulled out Sturm, flicking it open and swinging it at Mercury. Like before, the silver haired thief seemed to effortlessly dodge it, backing slowly up as he smiled. "Wow, that's really getting sad. If your little kick there didn't help, what makes you think that stick of yours will do any good?"

Teeth clenched in anger, Jaune noticed the rest of Junior's men were approaching him, weapons at the ready. "Okay, seriously? You're all pissing me off." Jaune reached down and passed his hand over his belt. He smiled as he saw Junior's men approaching him still, but stopped when he noticed Mercury suddenly rushing away. _How the hell did he notice that?!_ One of the suited thugs attempted to swing an axe right at Jaune's head, only for it to get interrupted by a _FU-WHUMPH!_ A wave of force launched the suited thugs in all directions, slamming them into walls, the scenery, tables and all. Only Mercury who'd positioned himself behind a thick pillar was able to avoid the attack.

"Ooh, concussion grenades! Someone's got their hands on a little Lien, and now suddenly they think they're king of the castle, don't you?" Mercury taunted. "Let me guess, daddy bought you a coat and a mask and now you think you're some sort of vigilante hero, stealing from the bad guys and protecting the innocent, is that it?" Jaune rushed forward, only to be met with a blurring kick. This time however, Jaune was ready and the kick stopped clean in the middle of his chest, with even the gunshot not fazing him. Mercury's face fell. "Oh, now _that's_ annoying."

 _Who the hell do you think you are?!_ Jaune growled and threw out a series of blindingly fast jabs, each one being avoided and knocked aside. "Damn it, stand still!" _How the hell is he dodging everything I throw at him! He even avoided the concussion grenade! Wait…let's experiment, shall we?_ Jaune spun around on his heel, throwing a kick at Mercury's face, with the silver thief dodging it as expected. At the same time however, Jaune pulled a string at his side, and amidst the din of combat echoing on the other side of the room between Roman, Neo and the Beacon students, the canister that dropped to the ground was unheard of.

"Not bad. Let's see here, you absorb kinetic energy and redirect it. Moving faster, hitting harder, ecetera. Judging from earlier though, you can't absorb attacks you can't see. Bet you can't absorb dust attacks either." Mercury grinned.

Jaune went quiet, and his lips turned up. "And you can tell the future."

Mercury frowned. "You...not bad at all. Maybe I had you misjudged. You've at least got a little bit of-"

 _FU-WHUMPH!_ Another concussion grenade went off, mere feet from Mercury's location. This time however, the thief didn't seem to notice it, and was launched forward towards Jaune, whose smile became downright predatory and met the flying thief with a brutal uppercut...laced with the same kinetic energy that he'd just absorbed from earlier. The reaction was as horrifically forceful as it was painful, launching Mercury straight upwards with enough force to slam him into the ceiling of the night club, shaking the building and causing debris to rain down around Jaune. The punch had been hard enough to cause a shockwave upon impact, causing Junior's forces to pause in terror at how easily the superior thief had been taken out.

Meanwhile, Roman continued to fire explosive rounds at the students, but was already beginning to dread how the night was going. "Any time you want to finish the thief off, Mercury, would be nice!" The criminal dodged a series of blindingly fast slashes from an enraged Blake. "Neo, a little help!"

[Kind of busy here!] Neo snapped, flipping and teleporting around. She at least was having an easier time of things, carving apart Team SNPR with ease. It was becoming impossible for them to follow the ice-cream themed girl as she vanished from sight the moment an attack seemed ready to connect, only to retaliate with a stab or kick from behind. Pyrrha found herself bleeding from a wound from a hidden blade in the parasol and Nora was lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Damn it Mercury, what's taking so-" Roman's complaint was cut off by the sound of something hitting the ceiling. "The hell?" Roman rolled out of the way of a vicious straight from Yang, only to find Mercury suddenly slamming onto the ground next to him, bleeding from the head. "Oh." He looked up as Yang approached him, pounding her fists together with a wicked smile. "Uh, Neo, we have a problem!"

[Are you kidding me?! I swear, first Jaune doesn't show up, then I can't even have fun with these idiots. What is it?!] Neo vanished just as Ren threw a blurring straight in her direction, his fist pulsating with a soft purple glow.

"Mercury was all talk, apparently." Roman grimaced, slowly stepping back away from Yang, his face a mask of panic. "I do _not_ want a repeat of what happened on the train, Neo!"

Neo rolled her eyes as she side-stepped Sun's repeated staff jabs, kicking in retaliation right to his abdomen, her stiletto heels digging viciously in. Sun stepped back, coughing and falling to a knee. "Sh-shit...she's...too fast..."

Pyrrha rushed forward, trying to ignore the wound in her side, letting her Aura try to heal it up. Milo flashed as she tried to carve the villainess apart, but the petite combatant was too fast even for her, and she vanished again. Simultaneously, Pyrrha could feel something slam into her spine, pitching her forward with a cry of pain. A voice cried out, " _Pyrrha!_ " Even amidst her pain, she swore she could hear... _Jaune?_

[Still having trouble Roman?] Neo asked with faux sweetness, earning a groan of frustration and anger from the orange haired criminal, whose night was _not_ going well. [You are such a puss-] _WHAM!_ Neo's body suddenly, and violently went horizontal as something unforgivably hard slammed into her face, causing her to go crashing into the wall hard enough to leave a small crater, her multicolored eyes flying open in surprise and pain. She staggered to her feet, her vision blurring and found herself staring up into the mask of the Phantom Nevermore, his hands clenched.

"Wrong move, short stack." The thief's voice was low and threatening, earning not just a little confusion from the surrounding members of SNPR. "Why don't you go pick on someone else, pint-size?"

Neo's patented death glare found itself on her usually cute features and she tightly gripped her parasol, looking all to ready to lay some pain down on the bastard who dared to not only touch her, but made fun of her height! [Oh, I hate you _so_ much…] She vanished, reappearing behind the thief, who seemed to anticipate her angle of attack and found her parasol being blocked by the thief's baton. [Okay, what the hell?!]

Roman fired a volley of explosive shots to keep RWBY away, ignoring the sounds of rage and despair emanating from Junior behind him. He seemed to be complaining about the damages being done, but Roman couldn't care less...until a group of suited thugs suddenly sprang up from behind, swinging weapons at him. "What the hell?! Junior, you bastard!"

"You're doing more damage than the blasted thief!" Junior roared.

"Cinder will hear of this, mark my words!" Roman snapped, trying desperately to avoid getting overwhelmed. This wasn't good, if this kept up, he'd find himself in another jail cell. He glanced to the side to see how his ice-cream loving partner was doing, and his eyes widened even further. She was _not_ doing good. Her and the thief were clashing, baton against parasol. Neo would teleport to get a better advantage, and the thief would appear to do the same, both of them locked in a high-speed battle.

[YOU DICK SUCKING PAIN IN THE ASS, STAND STILL!] Neo silently screeched in blind fury. No one had ever given her this much trouble, and what was making matters even worse is that while she'd failed to get a single hit in on him, the damnable bird had hit her not just once, but twice, burying his fist into her gut and slamming her into the wall again. [I HATE YOU SO MUCH!]

Jaune grinned. It was evil, petty, even, but he was feeling pretty good at getting some much needed revenge, not only for the parasol wielder injuring his former partner, but for that utterly horrendously ending date. "Problem? Maybe if you didn't eat so much ice cream, you wouldn't be such a slow cow..." For a brief moment, Jaune figured that Neo was about to burst a blood vessel she looked so utterly infuriated. He was glad he couldn't understand a word she was 'saying,' because he had a feeling that she'd make a sailor blush with her language, if her expression was anything to judge by.

Pyrrha stared in confusion. What the hell was going on? This night was terrible, but she was glad she came, if anything to support her team. Why was the thief helping them though? He hadn't run away, despite having every opportunity to do so. He was even defending her team from the pink girl, going toe to toe with her. A thought occurred to her. _He's been holding back on us, hasn't he? It's like...he doesn't want to hurt us? Why?_

The thief gave a wicked chuckle as he dodged another series of increasingly blind attacks, Neo practically silently screaming in utter rage, the constant taunts and flawless movements driving her insane. "This is just getting pathetic. You know, it's been fun, but I'm afraid I'm really overstaying my welcome here..."

"I couldn't agree more." A strained voice replied behind Jaune. He turned around-

 _ **CRAK-BOOM!**_ Something slammed into Jaune's chest, and for a moment, he blacked out as pure agony slammed into his chest. He couldn't breathe, desperately clawing at the ground as he looked up, his vision returning to see Mercury on his feet, blood dripping down his head, and his eyes narrowed in blood chilling rage. _Sh-shit…_ Jaune could feel his consciousness fading, and he struggled to get up from the ground, feeling the world tilt around him. He'd been hit with an Aura charged attack, and had taken _severe_ damage. He coughed, and watched in fear as bright red blood spilled out from his mouth. _N-no!_

Mercury slowly approached him, but Neo stepped in the way, unsheathing her blade. [Oh, no you don't! I'm going to enjoy this one!]

Team SNPR stood, unsure of what to do. Help the thief? He was obviously helping them, and was in some seriously bad shape, but on the other hand, he wasn't an ally either. Ren looked around in a panic, trying to figure out the best course of action, even as the silver haired thief brushed past Neo, ignoring her. He stood above the Phantom, raising one leg in the air, his foot beginning to pulse with a black aura. "You screwed up kid."

Jaune stared up, tears beginning to sting his eyes. Was this it? Was this where he met his end? _Pyrrha...Ren...Nora...Ruby...everyone...I'm sorry…_ He looked up, unable to move, only able to watch as the older man prepared to finish off Jaune...only for _something_ to grab Mercury's other foot, and violently throw him aside and into another wall. _W-what?_ Through his blurred and dimming vision, Jaune could see what looked like a black, shadowy tentacle emerging from the ground...no, from his own shadow?!

Neo stepped back in confusion. [W-what the hell?!]

Everyone watched as suddenly the shadow grew larger, suddenly enveloping the Phantom Nevermore, covering him like a pitch black blanket, then began to flatten to the ground, becoming two dimensional, before shrinking and vanishing. The entire room fell silent. Even Roman, who was currently trying to push back Ruby's scythe blade found himself staring in shock at the thief's mysterious disappearance. So distracted were they, that they didn't notice another shadow growing larger in the corner of the room, and envelop another, older blond man with spectacles, flattening to the ground just like the Phantom…

"What." Mercury's voice cut through the silence like a knife, a flat what that betrayed none of the inner rage he was feeling. "Well...that...that just happened."

"He's...got an accomplice?!" Ren's own voice was incredulous and full of shock.

"What the hell?! Damn it Mercury, what use are you!?" Junior shrieked, falling to the ground on his knees, looking almost comedic in his despair.

Neo threw her parasol to the ground and began to stomp angrily, and it didn't take a genius to realize that her silent vocalizations were a series of swears and curses that somehow had Pyrrha's ears burning, even though she couldn't hear a word she was saying. Roman looked around and gave a nervous smile. "W-well then...I guess there's no point in us sticking around." Ruby's silver eyes snapped back at him in a glare, and Roman found himself being forced back once more. "I SAID-"

[-AND SHOVE IT SO FAR UP HIS ASS THAT I CAN REPURPOSE HIM AS A NEW PARASOL! THEN, WHEN I'M DONE WITH THAT, I'LL-] Neo continued to rant.

Mercury spoke up once more, his voice low, piercing and loud. "Neo. We're leaving."

Neo paused in mid rant and threw her hands in the air. [Fine, whatever. This entire night was a waste of my damn time! You two owe me _so_ much ice cream for this!] She vanished, and reappeared next to Mercury, grabbing his arm and vanishing, only to reappear once more next to Roman, grabbing his arm with her other hand. With a grimace, Neo vanished one last time, leaving the room, reducing the occupancy of the to Junior's injured and unconscious men, Junior himself who was being consoled by the twins, and Team SNPR and RWBY.

Ren groaned and sank against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is the last time that we let Yang pick our outings."

 **[Saturday Morning – Junior's]**

Junior sat at the bar, surrounded by the twins and the Beacon students, nursing a glass of something strong, looking absolutely pathetic for all the world. He sniffed, "It's not fair...I just had this place remodeled, and spent so much Lien on getting that Crimson Heart...now I don't even have anything to show for it..."

Yang frowned sadly. "Listen, Junior, I'm really sorry. I wasn't even trying to cause anything this time."

Junior looked up and sighed. "It's not even your fault. That bastard thief...I should have realized something was wrong when I overslept yesterday morning...I bet he knocked me out when he went rifling through my belongings for the real Crimson Heart."

Ruby looked sad. "Mr. Junior, it'll be okay. You still have your health, you know?"

The bearded man looked over at Ruby, staring blankly before sinking his face into his hands. "Oh Dust, I'm even being consoled by a little girl! That's it. My life is over."

Miltia cooed softly. "Oh Junior, like, it'll be okay. We've gotten through some bad times together...we'll manage."

"All I want now is revenge against that bastard!" Junior snapped, pounding his fist onto the bar top. "Wait...you all seemed to know him..." Junior gave an aside glance to the students.

Ren drew his lips into a thin line, even as Pyrrha answered for him. "We've...fought him before. He's been causing us no end of trouble."

Yang snapped her fingers. "That's it! We can give you what we know on him, so at least next time you run into him, you'll be prepared!"

Junior shook his head. "Screw that. I don't want to be any further in debt, least of all to a bunch of snot-nosed brats."

"Tch." Yang gave a disgusted glare. "Fine, be that way."

Junior went quite for a few moments, staring down into his drink. Everyone gave each other a strange look, and Yang shrugged, turning on her heel to walk away, her fellow teammates following close behind. She was at the door when suddenly Junior's head snapped up. "That's it! That's where' I've heard that kid's description! You! Blondie!" Junior called out to Yang, who stopped and turned around.

"Yeah?"

"You were in here about seven months ago, yelling my ear off about some missing friend of yours, right?"

Yang's lilac eyes flew open. "You mean Jaune?!"

In an instant, the entire Beacon student gathering were at Junior's side once more. "You saw him?! Where?! When?!" Pyrrha's questions were firing out of her mouth a mile a minute.

"Whoah, whoah, whoah, I don't know for sure!" Junior replied. "Do you have a picture?!"

Pyrrha very quickly brought up her Scroll, flipping it open to reveal her wallpaper to be a picture of her partner, smiling goofily. "This is him!"

Junior stared at it for a moment and nodded slowly. "So he was using a false identity..."

"W-what?!" Pyrrha asked.

Junior reached into his own pocket and withdrew his own Scroll, tapping through it for a few seconds before holding it up. "Yeah, came in here this Tuesday! Said his name was John Crescent. Nice kid, solid head on his shoulders. Packing heat too. Said he moved here with his uncle to start some courier business." Everyone stood in shock, staring at the security footage before them playing out in Junior's hand. Despite the different clothing, and the lack of Crocea Mors on him, the blonde figure in the silver long coat, sitting at the bar and chatting amiably with the two twins, was unmistakeably one Jaune Arc…

 _ **Author's Note: Yep. That just happened. Jaune is currently badly injured, being saved by Thaddeus' timely intervention, his identity is compromised, and his friends now know he's currently in Vale. It looks like our Phantom Thief bit off a bit more than he could chew and is paying for his overconfidence. How will Jaune deal with his first, crushing defeat? And what of his former teammates? The ride isn't over yet, and the fun is just beginning…**_

 _ **Also, I'd like to apologize for the delay in chapters again, unfortunately I'm suffering from a bout of insomnia, so there's that. Any mistakes made in this chapter can be blamed on that. I've also noticed that the chapter numbering is off, and I will eventually be getting around to fixing that. Last but not least, a bonus point to anyone who can figure out exactly why Mercury didn't notice the second concussion grenade go off. I'll explain his Semblance in this fic later, but for now, I'll see if any of you can figure it out.**_

 _ **And as always, please, leave reviews!**_


	16. A Crow Left Of The Murder

_I don't own RWBY. Also, to clarify from last chapter, Jaune's 'John Crecent' identity has been compromised, not the Phantom Nevermore. No one suspects him of being that...yet._

 **Chapter 14: A Crow Left Of The Murder**

The first time Jaune awoke, he first thing he felt was pain. Searing pain that took away his ability to breathe, to even think. He couldn't see, his vision pitch black. Was he dead? Did Mercury really kill him? He heard a wet, gagging cough in his ears, and his vision slowly began to refocus, only to find his world illuminated only by a dim light above, his figure face down in a puddle of blood. _His blood._ He should have felt panic, but he could barely hold a conscious thought in his head beyond the realization that he'd messed up, badly. He only vaguely recognized he was no longer in the nightclub, but was instead in some alleyway. The coppery scent of blood mixed with the stomach-churning stench of old garbage, making Jaune feel sick, or perhaps that was the internal bleeding he was suffering from.

Something buzzed in his ear; a voice? He couldn't hear anything beside a slight static like sound. The static slowly became garbled words, and the tone of voice was one in a panic. He felt himself being picked up, the light above suddenly becoming blinding as his stomach clenched and he felt white hot agony spread across his entire body, before everything went blissfully dark once more.

The second time Jaune awoke, he awoke to the feeling of tightness in his stomach and a fuzziness in his head that could have only come from some very strong painkillers. He tried to say something, anything, as his eyes flickered open to the blinding lights of the safe houses' track lights, but all that came out was a slur of words. Someone approached him, and he felt something being pushed to his lips, a cup of some sort. His throat felt parched, like a desert beach and so he drank. The liquid wasn't water, he could tell that much, but beyond that he didn't know. The taste was almost metallic, and it was thick in texture. It did little to aid his thirst, but it was better than nothing. Moments later though, fresh pain shot through his body, even worse than the first time, and he began to thrash and flail. He could hear screaming, his own screams of pure agony, but it seemed so far away that Jaune almost felt like a ghost temporarily possessing his own body. Darkness once again took over, and Jaune felt his mind slipping once more into blissful unconsciousness…

 **[Sunday Morning – Vale Docks]**

"Okay everyone, ready?!" Nora Valkyrie's voice cut through the dismal fog that surrounded the Vale Dockyard, cheerful and full of energy.

"Yeah!" The reply came, just as cheerful, from the seven other figures standing around the dock where the Bullhead had delivered them from the school. Team RWBY and Team JNPR pumped their fists in the air. Today was the day they began their city-wide manhunt for their lost friend. Even Pyrrha looked the best they'd remembered seeing her for months, a look of determination on her features.

"What's the plan?" Sun asked. He was never really close to the blonde blunder, but Sun was definitely not the kind of person to sit back while everyone else was working so hard to find their friend.

"Simple," Yang began, stepping up to take charge, "We'll start off near Junior's place, then make our way out. Ask shopkeepers, waiters, waitresses, and the like if they've seen Jaune. Everyone got your pictures?" Everyone pulled out their scrolls with Jaune's Beacon picture, holding it up. "Excellent! Now, for reasons unknown, Jaune is apparently going under a false identity, so if they don't know of Jaune, ask about John Crescent!"

Ren frowned, his face taking on an almost wounded expression. "Why would he...resort to that?"

Pyrrha's face matched Ren's and she slid her hands into the hoodie's pockets. "I...I don't know...maybe he's trying to hide from us..."

Ruby's cheerful voice cut in, her silver eyes hidden behind her closed eyes as she smiled widely. "Then we'll just force him out of hiding!"

The Spartan gave a grateful smile and bowed, her eyes starting to water. "T-thank you! Everyone...this means so much to me..."

"Pfft!" Yang gave a dismissive noise. "You're acting like we don't want to see Jaune either! I miss Vomit Boy too, ya know?"

Weiss gave a small huff, but her own eyes did seem a little watery. "I-I admit, things haven't been the same since he left...not that I miss him though! I'm just tired of seeing everyone else so depressed!"

Yang chuckled. "Whatever ya say, Weiss-cream."

"Come on guys, let's go-let's go-let's go!" Nora was bouncing up and down where she stood, her hyperactive voice cutting off the white heiress' complaints over her unwanted nickname. "Jaune-Jaune's gotta be around here somewhere, and we'll find out where!"

Everyone cheered and threw their hands into the air once more, feeling hope springing anew. If all went well, by this time tomorrow, they'd have Jaune back at Beacon, safe with them. They hadn't noticed a pair of multicolored eyes staring out from behind a stack of shipping crates, wide with surprise.

[J-Jaune? How do they know…?]

 **[Casa De Arc]**

The third time Jaune Arc awoke, the sunlight streaming in through his window had finally managed to wrest his eyes open and he groaned. He felt like he'd been hit by a stampede of Grimm, then used as target practice by Ruby's sniper rifle without his Semblance to protect him. His abdomen ached, his throat was dry and the entire rest of his body felt stiff. He tried to move, his body only half following his orders. Slowly he dragged one foot over the side of the bed, then the other. Finally, he began to drag himself off the bed, using one hand to steady himself against the wall.

 _Crash!_

Thaddeus was startled by the sound of something falling to the ground from Jaune's room, and the older blond, worry written all over his face, burst into the room to find his nephew on the ground, panting and groaning. "Jaune! What are you doing out of bed?!"

"W-what..." Jaune's voice was rough and hoarse, his dry throat rasping out the words.

Thaddeus helped his nephew back into his bed. "You stay here. You took some serious damage Jaune."

Jaune's mind still felt fuzzy. He needed water, first and foremost. "Wa...wat..."

Thaddeus nodded. "I'll get you some water. You stay put. You'll re-open your wound." The older blond quickly made his way out of the room, making his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. He came back and carefully helped Jaune into a sitting position. "Here. Drink slowly."

Jaune began to slowly sip the drink, but his thirst got the better of him and he started trying to drink faster, until he accidentally inhaled some of it and began coughing. That was a bad idea as the coughs caused him sudden pain in his stomach. "Agh!"

"Careful, careful!" Thaddeus rubbed Jaune's back slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white capsule. "Here, take this. It should dull the pain."

Slowly, the younger blond nodded and grabbed the pill, tossing it into his mouth and slowly drinking more water to wash it down. There was a few moments of silence, while Jaune lay in bed, his gaze hidden by his shaggy bangs. Then, his voice spoke up, quiet. "I failed."

Thaddeus sighed. "I...yeah. In a way, anyway."

Jaune continued to sit forward, his hair covering his eyes, but from his body language and mouth alone, Thaddeus could tell Jaune was devastated. "Damn it..." Jaune's body began to shake, and Thaddeus could see tears starting to fall down his nephew's cheeks. " _Damn it all!_ " Jaune clenched his fists tightly. "How?! How the hell could I have failed so damn hard?!"

Thaddeus sighed. "Jaune, it's fine."

" _Fine?! FINE?!_ " Jaune screamed, turning to Thaddeus, eyes wide with rage and despair. "I LOST!"

 _SLAP!_

Jaune froze, his expression utterly shocked. "Get a hold of yourself! So, what, you lost once! You know how many times I've lost in my life?! How many heists I've bungled?! If anything, I'm disappointed in you; you lost because of you." Thaddeus' tone was firm, his gray eyes cold and narrowed.

The younger blond shrunk into himself, eyes wide. Thaddeus had never struck him before like that. Sure, in combat practice he kicked the crap out of him, but it was always with a cheerful smile. "M...me?"

"You should have ran. I know why you didn't, but you _aren't_ a hunter anymore Jaune. Hell, even if you were, there's such a thing as a strategic retreat. The situation spiraled out of your control, and your first thought should have been to flee, but you chose to stay and grandstand, and you almost paid for that with your life. Pride means nothing to a dead man, Jaune." Thaddeus' face softened slightly. "I was worried sick, Jaune. You fought Mercury Black. _Mercury Black!_ He's been around since I have! He's got years and years of experience over you, and he's highly dangerous. Same with that Neo girl; sure she's new to the underground, but she's already got a serious number of kills under her belt."

Jaune suppressed a shudder. He'd been dating a murderer? He knew she was bad news, but that...he felt his blood run cold. "Oh Dust..." He started to feel ill again.

"Jaune, listen to me. This mindset isn't good for you. You're so busy trying to convince yourself that leaving Beacon was the best thing for you that you're taking every unnecessary risk under the sun. If you keep this up, you'll be caught at best, and killed at worst! How do you think your friends would feel if they found out you were dead?!" Thaddeus sighed and ran his hand through his own blond hair. For a moment, Jaune felt as though Thaddeus had aged years, looking every bit his fifty something years, instead of his usually youthful expression.

"I..." Jaune swallowed hard, pulling his knees up to his chest. "They've probably all forgotten about me. Either that or they hate me now, for what I've done."

"Is that why you're trying to desperately to prove that you're stronger? To show that this wasn't some sort of mistake?" Thaddeus asked, his face softening more.

"No! Maybe...I don't know anymore..."

Thaddeus remained silent for a few moments more. Then, "You're scared. You're terrified that if they hate you, and you didn't become stronger, then you abandoned them for no reason."

Jaune didn't respond, but the freshly flowing tears down his cheeks were all the proof that Thaddeus needed.

 **[Vale Streets – Dust'n'Dusters]**

 _Ding!_ The sound of a bell above the door alerted Bill to a new customer and as he saw the young woman walk into his store, he waved with a smile. "Howdy! Welcome to Dust'n'Dusters! If you need combat gear, we've got some of the cheapest!"

Pyrrha smiled nervously and nodded. The day had proven, thus far, to be entirely unproductive. Every person they'd approached and talked to didn't seem to know who either Jaune Arc nor John Crescent was, and had never seen anyone fitting his description. She knew it was only the first day, and that Vale was a _very_ big city, but that alone made her feel very nervous. She as so close, but so far from him. "G-good afternoon, sir."

"Pfeh! Sir? Please, call me Bill! Pecos Bill's the name! Now how can I help a cute young'n like yourself?" Bill jovially pitched.

The Spartan approached the counter, pulling out her scroll to the picture of Jaune, and holding it out in front of her, asked, "Have...have you seen this man recently?"

Bill took one look at it and smiled from ear to ear. "Of course I have!"

Pyrrha felt a surge of hope rush through her and she practically jumped over the counter in her eagerness for more information. "Where? When?"

Bill laughed. "Good ol' John! Good kid, one of my favorite customers. Comes in here ever blue moon to get his coat repaired, or to pick up some cheap Dust. Pays well, really polite."

Pyrrha almost gave a sob of relief. "Has he said anything about where he's staying? Or what he's been doing?"

"Staying? Can't say that I have. Doing? A lot of training with that uncle of his. Oh, and a couple of months with yours truly!"

"W-what?"

"Yep! Kid's a fair hand at gunplay, and even more so at that fancy Gun Kata stuff that his uncle insisted he learned. At range he's a damn good shot, but up close...hell, even I wouldn't want to step that close to him if I could avoid it!" Bill proudly exclaimed.

Pyrrha put her hand to her chest and looked back up at Bill, her eyes watering as she smiled. "T-thank you… you have no idea how happy I am to hear that..."

Bill's expression softened up and he looked concerned. "You his girlfriend? He did mention some red head friend of his, from what he was saying I figured he fancied her, at one point."

Pyrrha gasped slightly. "G-girlfriend? N-no! We were just...um...partners. At Beacon."

"No shit?" Bill raised an eyebrow. "He's former Beacon?"

Pyrrah's expression fell. "He...he left us a year ago. No Scroll call, no letters, nothing. We've been trying to search for him this entire time."

Bill's eyes widened. "You serious? Hell, you give me your scroll number, and the next time John comes in, I'll call you first thing!"

Pyrrha's eyes lit up once more and her smile was so radiant that Bill swore he had to look away lest he become blinded. "Thank you! Thank you so much sir!" She took the scroll she was given and quickly typed in her number in his contact information.

Bill smiled softly. "Hey, least I can do for such a pretty girl. If you find him, take good care of him for me, would you?"

Pyrrha's emerald gaze grew determined once more. "I promise." With that, she turned away and made her way to the door, stopping only to turn around once more, bow low, and reply, "Thank you..."

As she stepped out the door, Bill sighed. Jaune had left _that_ behind? The hell was wrong with him? He could see it, clear as day in her eyes. The girl was in love with him, and was still pining for him. The least he could do, as a romantic, was to help them get together again.

 **[Vale – Capricious Cappuccino]**

The sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the sky with orange as Team RWBY and Team SNPR met up at the cafe on the corner of two busy streets, with Team RWBY already sitting around a white table, with various drinks. Ruby was nursing a cup of cocoa, Weiss a cappuccino, Blake a glass of milk, and Yang was drinking something out of a flask.

"Hey guys!" Ruby called cheerfully, waving her fellow team over.

"Hey." Ren replied, frowning. He pulled up a chair at a table nearby, sighing.

"No luck?" Ruby asked, looking sad.

"None. It's like he doesn't even exist."

"Nothing here either..." Nora's voice was downtrodden. However, everyone cocked an eyebrow when Pyrrha smiled triumphantly.

"I got one lead."

"What? Where?! Who?" The questions rushed in from all sides, causing Pyrrha to lift up a hand to silence the surrounding excitement.

"Dust'n'Dusters. The man who owned the store, Bill, apparently not only knows Jaune, but even did some training with him. Apparently according to him, Jaune's been training with his uncle as well, and is supposedly good at Gun Kata of all things."

Ren's eyebrow couldn't go any higher. "Jaune? Gun Kata?"

Pyrrha's face was both amused, and a little sad. "Things can change over a year, I suppose."

"Anything else though?" Yang added.

The Spartan gave a sad sigh and shook her head. "No, nothing beyond that." Everyone else hung their own heads, looking disappointed at the lack of good news.

"Hey, is something wrong guys?" A voice spoke up from behind them, and everyone turned around to see the concerned face of a cute rabbit Faunus, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Velvet? What are you doing here?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, I come here every so often for their desserts. They have some of the best tiramisu I've ever had! Coco and I can't get enough of this place." She smiled, but the smile quickly dropped. "What's wrong with all of you though? You look like you just came back from a funeral."

"It's...it's Jaune." Blake softly explained.

Velvet gasped. "He...he's not?!"

"N-no!" Pyrrha exclaimed, looking horrified. "We just got a lead on him the other day, but we've been spending all day trying to find him, with no luck..."

Velvet frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

Ren put his chin on his fist, and drummed his fingers on the table with his other hand. "It's strange, but he's been going under a false identity, and we don't know why..."

"A false identity?"

"Yeah, John Crescent."

The rabbit Faunus closed her eyes and hummed to herself for a bit before perking up with a brilliant smile. "Why don't I help you guys?"

Yang waved her hand. "You don't have to worry about us."

Velvet shook her head, frowning as she put her arms akimbo. "Now now, I'll have you know that I'm Team CFVY's number one information specialist! There's nothing I can't find if given enough time! Besides, with my Semblance, you should be able to find information easier!"

"Your Semblance?" Ruby asked, eyes widening. "Ooh, Ooh, what is it?! Can you sniff him out?! No, wait, you can see Auras! No, maybe it's super hearing and you can hear Jaune across the city!"

Velvet began to double over in laughter at Ruby's excitable antics. "No, no, nothing like that. I can tell if someone's telling the truth, or not!"

"Wait," Yang interjected again, "How does that help us?"

"Simple," explained Velvet, "If he's under a false identity, then there's a good chance that anyone who knows him for who he is will cover for him and deny all knowledge of him. The only problem is knowing where to start." She paused, glancing at Pyrrha who was looking very distracted by something. "Pyrrha?"

"I swear..." Pyrrha whispered.

"What's the matter, P-money?" Nora asked, glancing in the direction the Spartan was staring at so interestedly.

"That man, over there...the one with the glasses...doesn't he look a bit like..." Pyrrha trailed off, frowning.

Everyone else turned in the direction and Ren's eyes widened. "Holy crap...he does! He looks just like an older Jaune. Like, put some height on him, give him glasses and some facial hair, and he looks just like him!" They all watched as the man walked up to the counter of the Cafe, ordering something cheerfully. His movements, facial expressions and everything seemed so familiar. It was almost eerie.

"Thanks, Thaddeus! Hey, say hello to that nephew of yours, would you? I haven't seen him 'round here in over a month!" the clerk at the cafe counter called out as Thaddeus walked away, a take-away box in his hand.

"Not a problem! You have a good evening, yeah?" Thaddeus waved his hand good bye, smiling widely, and found himself almost bumping into the sudden appearance of a rabbit eared girl in a school uniform. "Whoah!" Thaddeus stepped back, clutching his chest with one hand. "I'm awfully sorry miss, I wasn't looking where I was going!"

Velvet smiled, ignoring the looks of shock and surprise from the two Teams, all of whom didn't want to assume that the older doppelganger had anything to do with Jaune himself. "Oh, that's quite alright! I'm sorry, but I have to ask you something strange, would you mind?"

Thaddeus' silver eyes gleamed with mirth. "Oh my, you're a bit young for me, aren't you?"

Velvet, much to everyone's surprise actually giggled in return, not shying away from the man's joking retort. "Oh, I'm very flattered sir, but I actually wanted to ask something else."

"Oh?"

Velvet motioned to Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, if you'd show this gentleman the picture?"

The redhead nodded in confusion and pulled out the Scroll, revealing Jaune's Beacon identity picture. "Have...have you seen this man?"

The older blond man scratched his chin, closing his eyes as if in deep contemplation. A few moments passed and he shook his head, frowning. "Sorry about that girls, haven't seen him at all."

Pyrrha turned to Velvet, who had an odd expression on her face. "Are you sure?" Velvet asked, almost narrowing her eyes at the bespectacled stranger.

Thaddeus nodded. "Of course! I happen to have a very good memory after all!" With a smile, he hoisted the bag containing his cafe purchase and gave a bow. "Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but I'm afraid I must be going. Got to deliver this cake to my nephew!" He replied cheerfully.

Velvet nodded slowly. "Of course sir, and we apologize for having taken up your time. Come on Pyrrha, let's go." Pyrrha nodded and gave a small bow to the older blond, turning away. Velvet gently grasped her arm and slowly began to lead her back to the table. As he did so, the Spartan noticed a very wicked grin spreading across Velvet's face.

"Velvet?"

"Pyrrha? All of you? I want you to tell me when that man we just talked to is just within sight, then we need to follow him without being spotted." Velvet slowly spoke.

"What? Why?" Pyrrha looked confused. "He just said he didn't know Jaun-"

Velvet cut her off, winking. "Remember what I said earlier? _I can tell if someone is telling the truth or not._ "

Pyrrha's eyes widened. "You...you mean…?"

Everyone's eyes widened as Velvet's grin spread. "Exactly. That man, whoever he is? He's lying. He knows Jaune."

 _ **Author's Note: Great job Thaddeus...yeah, I know it's awfully coincidental that the two teams ran into Thaddeus and Velvet in the same day, but you've all heard the saying, it's a small world? Vale is big, but every once in a while things do tend to fall into place. And what of Neo, who is learning of Jaune's Beacon affiliation? Will this change how she feels about him? Will Thaddeus lead the teams to Jaune, or will he leave them with more questions than answers? Be sure to tune in next time and find out…**_

 _ **And as always, keep leaving reviews!**_


	17. Coming Home To Roost (Pt 1)

_I don't own RWBY_

 **Chapter 15: Coming Home To Roost (Pt. 1)**

They'd been following Thaddeus for at least three hours, and Yang had come to one conclusion. He knew they were following him. He'd been leading them all over a merry path across Vale, from the absurd semi-chase they had trying to follow him through a sudden run over the rooftops, to having to follow him through an adult store (Yang had covered Ruby's eyes the entire time while the younger Hunter complained about being 'old enough' for that kind of stuff), to a surprisingly calm stroll through a park.

But when he literally walked through a strip joint, not even stopping to chat with anyone or view the women within, Teams RWBY and SNPR knew the older blond was screwing with them, and it was really starting to piss them off. Even Velvet, who'd had a smile on the entire time was beginning to develop a twitch in her right eye. "He knows."

Pyrrha was looking positively livid. Not only was this man screwing with them, he was withholding information on Jaune! He might even know where he was! _Wait...now that I think about it, didn't Bill say he was staying with his uncle? Is this Jaune's uncle?!_ Pyrrha tensed up. "I think it's time we stop playing around. We're not getting anywhere at this rate."

Thaddeus meanwhile was having the time of his life. Having more Lien than he knew what to do with and all the time in the world did bore him, and it was little excursions like this that really made his day. He hadn't been in a situation like this in over thirty years. _Wonder if I still got that special touch?_ He was at least impressed by their tenacity. Evidently they not only knew that he knew Jaune, but they were bound and determined to find out more about him. _Let's see here...judging by appearances, and formation, I'm going go guess the redhead giving me the death glare is Pyrrha Nikos. So that makes him Lie Ren, and that must be Nora Valkyrie. Which makes those four RWBY..who the hell is the bunny?_ Thaddeus made his way to a small food stand that he often enjoyed for lunch and nodded to the balding man.

"Hey Thaddeus. They with you?" The old man nodded in the direction of the poorly hidden students.

The blond laughed. "Them? Oh, just some little ducklings I picked up. Been following me for three hours now. Tenacious little brats. You got any pre-made dishes?"

"Just some soups."

"Perfect. My nephew isn't in any condition to be eating solid food right now. Hey, think you could double seal it? I might end up having to book it if these kids don't get the hint." Thaddeus couldn't keep the glee from his voice.

"Gotcha." The old man knelt down, bringing up a large plastic bowl. He proceeded to tape it up and hand it to Thaddeus. "This good?"

"Yep. Thanks old timer." Thaddeus threw a wad of Lien on the counter before starting to walk past the stand, smiling as the heard the faint footsteps of the students following behind him. The older blond walked on and on, through streets and alleys until finally he stopped at a series of stairs leading up to a landing that itself led up to the rooftops of Vale's residential district. "Man...you guys are stubborn, you know that?"

Deciding to throw subtlety to the wind, Pyrrha stepped forward, pulling Milo out of its sheathe, her eyes narrowing. "Where is he?!"

Thaddeus turned around with a smile that filled all of the Beacon students with irritation; a very calm, lax grin as if the wasn't in the least bit worried about their hostility. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about!"

"JAUNE ARC!" Pyrrha screamed, her rage and desperation growing by the second.

"We know you're lying." Velvet added in, her own visage mirroring that of the rest of the angry students, all of whom were beginning to pull their weapons out as well.

"Oh? How are you so sure?" Thaddeus singsonged in a manner eerily reminiscent of a certain Phantom bird.

"My Semblance." Velvet simply stated.

Thaddeus' expression faltered and he gave a sigh. "Now that's all kinds of annoying. Alright, listen, I don't have the time to keep babysitting all of you, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut our little nightly stroll short, if you don't mind." Thaddeus turned on his heel, and with speed beyond what his age implied, took off running up the stairs.

"No!" Pyrrha yelled, taking off after him, everyone else joining in hot pursuit. This however, soon proved to be a far more difficult task than any of them had expected. The older man was, to put it bluntly, absolutely flawless in his free-running style. Over the rooftops they followed him, but his speed and agility were utterly incredible, and the distance was slowly increasing by the minute. Ruby couldn't use her Semblance lest she run face first into an obstacle. It was no surprise that Blake, Velvet and Sun, being unnaturally nimble themselves were ahead of the pack, with Pyrrha on their heels, her athleticism being put into play like never before.

"Ooh, you're getting closer! I wonder how long you all can keep this up?" Thaddeus' mocking tone carried over the rooftops as he flipped over pipes, slid under vents and vaulted over ledges, grinning merrily the entire time, unhindered by his fancy shirt, vest and slacks. "Careful now, we're really getting into the rough parts!"

It was really a testament to their skill that both teams managed to keep him in sight as their chase continued. Weiss was resorting to using her glyphs to keep boosting herself above the obstacles, and Yang had been jumping and using Ember Celica to keep herself launching forward like she had during initiation. Ruby was trailing behind, but she'd been helping herself along with shots from Crescent Rose whenever she lagged too far behind.

Thaddeus seemed to have limitless energy, managing to stay ahead of everyone through sheer physical acumen alone, the entire time grinning like he had never enjoyed himself so much before. "Ooh, so much fun! I wonder though, how good are you all at tracking? See, I happen to be quite skilled in hiding in plain sight, and there's a very interesting parade going on today! Wonder if you can catch me in a crowd!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened in a panic as the older blond dropped down suddenly into an alley, vanishing from sight in an instant. Without a word, everyone followed suit, quickly climbing down the walls, the fire escapes or simply jumping to the ground and using Aura to absorb the damage. The older blond was up ahead, still turned to them, grinning. Behind him, they could see a number of people lined up, and the sound of music and raucous speech filled the air. "If he gets out there, we'll lose him!" Ren roared, pushing himself with everything he had.

Thaddeus just laughed and took off running once more, down the alleyway, his speed still faster than the rest, and he found himself mere feet away from the crowded streets. "Sorry kids, but I don't want to miss Remnant's Top Star tonight!"

" _Wait, please!_ " A cry stopped him dead in his tracks. A heart wrenching cry, full of tears that forced the older blond to stop cold in his tracks. "Please...please, I'm begging you!" Thaddeus slowly turned around. Pyrrha was on her knees, her eyes watering over as tears began to drip onto the asphalt below. His eyes widened in surprise. The poor girl looked devastated, and Thaddeus couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for her. "Please...I miss him so much..."

Thaddeus hung his head, his bangs covering his eyes. When he picked up his head, his face looked pained, sorrowful. "I...I'm sorry. I gave him my word."

" _Please!_ " Pyrrha's voice was absolutely heartbreaking in its desperation. "For the whole year...I...I've been looking...I need him...please..." her voice shrank down to a tiny sob, her body falling over onto her hands and knees, tears falling faster.

Thaddeus looked up at the rest of the students, all of whom looked fairly upset themselves. Ruby's own silver eyes were starting to water over, Blake looked pained, Weiss was sniffing and even Yang looked as though she were about to start begging. Nora was silently crying and Ren looked desperate, eyes wide with quiet pleas. Even Sun and Velvet were practically begging with their gazes, and Thaddeus couldn't take it any longer. With a deep, sad sigh, Thaddeus slumped his shoulders. "Shit...you all really miss him, huh?"

Pyrrha's emerald eyes looked up, still full of tears and with a small bit of hope. Thaddeus found himself forced to look away, lest the guilt pile on further. _Damn it Jaune, you left this behind? She's weeping for you!_ "Please, I'd do anything...I just need him by my side...it hurts so much with him gone..." She sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"...Damn it. Follow me." Thaddeus gave a slow motion and began to walk towards the students, then past them, holding onto the soup with the other. A small hope kindled in all of their eyes as they silently began to follow the older blond.

 **[Vale – Pie Pie]**

Thaddeus had led them to a pizza place that was along the parade route, but surprisingly had no customers within it. It was a dimly lit place, with wooden tables and candles providing most of the light. He'd told them to sit down, and wordlessly made his way to the counter, ordering an extra large pepperoni pizza, refusing to say a word until it had been delivered to their table. "Eat up. It's the least I can do for leading you all over Hell's half acre." He muttered, sinking into a chair. Suddenly he looked very old to the surrounding students, all of whom were waiting on his every word with baited breath.

Silence fell, and Thaddeus eventually looked up, a strange pained expression in his gray eyes. "I…I can't tell you where he is." Pyrrha's face twisted into an agonized look, but before she could cry out in frustration, Thaddeus raised a hand. "I gave him my word, Ms. Nikos. And seeing how Jaune is family to me, I won't go back on my word."

"You...you won't tell us anything?!" Ren hissed in his own frustration.

"Now I didn't say that. I can tell you how he's doing. What he's been doing. Why he hasn't contacted any of you." Thaddeus' voice was low and tired, as though the act of actually confronting the teams was draining him of his own willpower.

"We're listening." Yang quietly replied, grabbing a slice of the pizza.

Thaddeus sighed again and shook his head. "First things first. Jaune...isn't doing good."

A quiet gasp and a sob was all the older blond needed to hear to know the news was not taken well. "W...what..." Ren started, unable to form the needed words. Thaddeus seemed to grasp what he was getting at though.

"He took a pretty serious injury the other day. He'll survive, but...he's not just doing bad physically."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha quietly sobbed, Nora hugging her tightly to try and comfort her.

"Jaune...he's in a bad place mentally too. See, it ties in to why he's never contacted you. He's deep in denial. He thinks you all have either forgotten about him, or hate him for what he's done." Thaddeus reached into his pocket, pulling out a small metal flask and taking a sip. No longer did he look the jovial jester he was earlier in the evening. It didn't take a genius, nor Velvet's Semblance to notice that it was seriously getting to Thaddeus.

" _I'd never hate him!_ " Cried Pyrrha, emerald eyes wide. A chorus of agreement mirrored her statement, with cries of denial of forgetting or hating the blond boy.

"I know, I know, Ms. Nikos. I can see with my own eyes just how much you all still care about him. Problem is, Jaune's been so desperate to try and prove he's become stronger since he left, that he's been taking unnecessary risks left and right, and this last one caused him severe injury. He's terrified beyond imagining that if he didn't get stronger, then he left you all, abandoned his friends, for nothing." Thaddeus took another drink.

"Haven't you talked to him about this?" Ren asked incredulously.

"Of course I have!" Thaddeus actually snapped, earning a look of surprise from the normally calm gunman. "I'm worried about him too! He's the only family I have."

"Wait, aren't you an Arc?" Yang queried. "I mean, you look just like Jaune..it's why we asked you in the first place."

Thaddeus gave a thin lipped smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Jaune and I are Arc in name only right now. Long story short, we technically aren't part of the Arc clan any longer. For different reasons, mind, but exiles still the same."

"So what you're telling me," Blake added, frowning, "Is that Jaune is losing his mind, his family has abandoned him, and now he's getting himself hurt trying to convince himself that it was worth something?"

Thaddeus grimaced and ran his hand through his hair. "Essentially, yes."

Blake's eyes narrowed into a glare. "And you won't tell us where he is so we can help him, _over a stupid promise?_ "

"Tch," Thaddeus gave an unamused glance back at the cat Faunus. "Jaune and I are of the same cloth; we're men of our word." His face softened though, and he became downcast once more. "Listen, I'm going to be honest with all of you. I...I'm going to try to convince Jaune to come back to Beacon."

Everyone perked up immediately at this news, Pyrrha actually smiling. "You...you mean it?!"

Thaddeus nodded. "Right now, he needs you all more than he knows. Don't get me wrong, Jaune's come a long, _long_ way since you met him. One on one against any of you and I'm certain you'd eat dirt before he was done." Thaddeus' voice took on a note of pride, a cocky smile making its way across the older blonde's face. "But right now he needs people close to him. He needs all of you." He pointed to Pyrrha. "'specially you."

"Do...do you think you can convince him?"

Thaddeus stood up and shrugged. "I won't promise you guys anything, but I'll do what I can. In the end, it's up to Jaune. I'm gonna head back, I'm sure Jaune's starving, and he can't be eating anything too solid for the next day or two until his Aura repairs the damage fully." The older man started making his way out of the store, but stopped and turned over his shoulder. "Don't bother following me either. I was enjoying our little run through the streets, but I've personally trained Jaune, and I can outrun any of you."

The students all gave sheepish looks, Ruby and Velvet whistling innocently. Pyrrha however, stood up as well, bowing. "T-thank you...Umm..."

"Thaddeus. Thaddeus Arc." 

"Um, Mr. Thaddeus?" Pyrrha looked at him, and for the first time that anyone in Team JNPR could remember, she looked hopeful. "Could you please pass on a message?"

 **[Casa De Arc]**

When Thaddeus returned to the safe house, Jaune was lying on the couch, having relocated himself in absentia. The room was mostly dark, save for the television which was on, with some show about some immortal kid dying in multiple ways. Thaddeus assumed it was a comedy; the kid seemed more irritated with dying in a number of horrific ways than worried. "Hey kid."

Jaune looked up, his face breaking weakly out into a smile. "H-hey."

Thaddeus held up the taped up bowl with a wry grin. "Got ya some soup, but I got a little distracted, so it's cold. Want me to nuke it for ya?"

Jaune sat fully upright, his smile growing. "Thanks Uncle. I've been starving."

His uncle made his way into the kitchen, whistling cheerfully as he removed the wrappings from the bowl of soup and stuck it into their microwave, pressing the time buttons in time with his whistling. "How's the stomach?"

"Ugh, I've been better." Thaddeus noted how Jaune sounded more irritated than in pain, giving a silent sigh of relief.

Silence fell between the two, the only sounds being heard were the television and the microwave beeping when the food had been finished. Thaddeus grabbed some silverware and a tray and brought the steaming soup to his nephew. "There ya go. Got it from that noodle stand down on Coriander Street."

This seemed to brighten Jaune's mood slightly. "Awesome. Love that place."

"Best damn noodles in Vale." Thaddeus sat down next to the couch where Jaune was, reclining back in his chair. Silence fell once more for a few moments before Thaddeus spoke up again. "I met your friends today."

Jaune paused in mid-bite. "...right."

Thaddeus felt terrible for what he was about to do, and sat in silence, letting Jaune finish his food before continuing on, knowing that he'd be practically breaking his poor nephew. He needed to hear it though. He needed to know what happened, how they felt, and what Pyrrha had told him. Once Jaune had put down the bowl and spoon onto the coffee table, and began to slowly get up, Thaddeus spoke up again. "She wept for you."

In the light of the television, Thaddeus could see the color drain from Jaune's face, and watched his knees go week, dropping him back down onto the couch with a huff. "I...what?" His voice was tiny and hoarse.

"Pyrrha. She wept for you. Nora too. Ruby. Weiss-"

" _WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS_?!" Jaune's voice cried out, his entire form recoiling in panic.

Thaddeus looked up, and his own expression was a pained, hurting one. "Because you need to know. You need to know that they've never given up on you. Because right now, you need to think about coming back to them, not just for their sake, but for your own." Jaune got up, faster than he should rightly have, and began to make his way as fast as he could to his room, his entire body shaking. He stopped at the door to his room as Thaddeus' voice reached his ears once more. "She asked me to bring you a message."

Silence. Jaune swallowed, then, "W-what?"

"Come back."

 _ **Author's Note: Wow. Another depressing chapter, but one I'd like to think that holds a bit of hope within. Next chapter though...let's just say that good things come to those who wait, and teams RWBY and JNPR have been doing an awful lot of waiting. I'll be honest and admit I'm not 100% on how I've portrayed Jaune in this chapter, but I feel that he's been clinging onto the hope that his friends have either forgotten him or hate him, because anything to the contrary would be admitting to himself that he hurt them for no reason other than his own pride. I think that'd be enough to shake anyone with Jaune's good (if mistaken) heart. Look forward to Coming Home To Roost (Pt. 2) soon, when we look towards the conclusion of this first book and set the frame work for The Phantom Nevermore: Chaos Theory.**_

 _ **And as always, please, leave reivews!**_


	18. Author's Note

_**Author's Note**_

 **Okay, so I've got some slightly bad news for all of you lovely fans. The Phantom Nevermore...will be going on a hiatus. No, it is NOT dead, and this hiatus should only last (hopefully) a week or two. Why am I going on a hiatus directly from cranking out chapters almost daily?**

 **Well…**

 **As most of you have already guessed, the original plan I had for this story was to have Jaune return to Beacon. However, this has been met with...polarizing views. Not that I mind, but this does change things around a bit. After reading some of your reviews, I have come to the conclusion, that this might not be the best choice after all. The original idea was to have Jaune pull a big damn heroes during a Vale siege by Cinder testing out a few new 'toys' and Jaune deciding to return to Beacon afterward.**

 **However, this presents a problem. Not in the manner of killing Grimm, as Jaune has been taught in more than one form of combat besides nonlethal, but because it would be exceptionally hard to pull off his heists with everyone watching him like a hawk. Because, let's be honest, they would. They'd be terrified he'd run away again, especially Pyrrha of all people. I was going to try to balance out school life with his larcenous activities, but unless he had a few people within Beacon who knew of his secret and would work with him, such a thing would be extremely hard to pull off, and consequently hard to write.**

 **I still plan on having a reunion, that much is certain. Writing sad Pyrrha is heartbreaking, and I do believe they've earned the right to see Jaune, but the difficulty I'm having thus far is twofold. First, trying to find a decent reason for Jaune to not return to Beacon after meeting them. Logic would say that they'd all be pushing hard for Jaune to come back, both as a teammate and as a friend. As I said above, this won't work with Jaune's new 'hobby' so that can't be a thing. The second reason, and the sole reason I'm going on hiatus is as thus: Up to this point, I had everything pre-written out, at least in my head. Every plot point had been taken into account with a few minor changes in between chapters as to what was originally planned. Since I don't know where to go right now with the idea, I can no longer crank out a chapter soon after as I have been.**

 **Now again, as I've said before, this fic ISN'T dead, I promise you. So don't lose faith or anything. I just need a little bit of time to figure out what I want to do, and how I'll have it tie into Chaos Theory. With that being said though, I'd like to keep in the habit of writing, so for those of you who enjoy my writing style and would like to possibly view another idea…**

 **Hoo boy, do I have a lot of those.**

 **So many in fact, I'm not sure which I want to choose from. So, I've decided to leave it up to you, my dear viewers! That's right, I'm setting up a poll. Just hit up my profile and cast your vote, and after a week goes by, I'll select the next fic to start work on. Chances are, I'll be working on that fic as well as The Phantom Nevermore and The Phantom Nevermore: Chaos Theory when I finish the first one.**

 **So here are your choices and a short summary of each one.**

* * *

 _ **Immortal. (Humor/Romance, Jaune x Harem)**_

 _Jaune Arc hated dying. This is an odd state of being for one to state they hated, as dying happens only but once, twice maybe if you're lucky. Then again, you aren't the universe's chew toy either..._ ( **Base idea: Jaune is immortal. Completely. Hijinks, Black Humor and Molestation ensue** _ **.**_ )

* * *

 _ **Ninja in Love (Humor/Romance, Jaune x Blake)**_

 _Jaune never really considered Blake to be a close friend. Sure, she was still a friend in general, but they never really interacted. However, after an embarrassing secret of his is revealed to the Faunus, Jaune is starting to wonder if he preferred it that way…_ ( **Base Idea: Blake finds out that Jaune is a fan of romance novels and as a condition to keeping it a secret, she insists that Jaune read Ninjas in Love. Afterward, Blake starts noticing similarities between Jaune and her favorite character, Musashi and begins to think that maybe Jaune might be the perfect mate. Jaune is (initially) less than thrilled**.)

* * *

 _ **Foregone Victory (Humor/Romance, Jaune x Pyrrha)**_

 _There is a game that is played between men and women throughout time immortal. It is a game that Pyrrha Nikos is learning the rules to, and one that Jaune Arc has no hope of winning._ ( **Base Idea: During her loneliest hour, Pyrrha finds out that Jaune is in love with her after all, but due to his own lack of confidence and insecurities has decided to try to avoid her. Pyrrha however, has other plans…** )

* * *

 _ **Resistor (Adventure/Humor, Paring(s) Undecided)**_

 _As a child, Jaune held the dream of becoming a hero deep within his heart. With the help of a beautiful singer, a streetwise brawler and an awkward mad genius, Jaune might just be able to pull it off, assuming that he can survive in the Proccess._ ( **Base Idea: Transistor x RWBY crossover. Jaune Arc as a child finds the Transistor in the old ruins of Cloudbank, now only known as a myth. Within the blade, three voices manifest, Mr. Nobody, Red and Royce. Acting as the Id, Ego and Superego respectively, can the three remaining conscious citizens of Cloudbank help shape Jaune Arc into a hero who can save Beacon from a mysterious foe? And why does Professor Cinder keep giving Jaune those creepy looks?** )

* * *

 _ **The Consequences of Building Good Karma (Humor/Romance, Jaune x Whoever The Hell I Want)**_

 _He just wanted to be a good person. He just wanted to do the right thing. He just wanted to be a hero. Well Jaune Arc is about to find out that too much of anything is a bad idea, and even too much good karma can pay off in a way detrimental to ones mental health._ ( **Base Idea: Jaune is just being his Jaune-y self, helping others and being a good person at heart. Unfortunately for him, Pyrrha is no longer the only one who recognizes this, and between mis-communications and happenstance, Jaune finds himself trying to juggle the hearts of just about every eligible female he encounters. Yes. This includes Glynda, Cinder, and even Raven. Pity Jaune. Pity him.** )

* * *

 _ **Balancing Act (Adventure/Humor, Jaune x Neo)**_

 _When he was a child, Jaune Arc made a promise. To him, it was a simple, small thing. To one Neopolitan, it meant the world, and now that she finally found him again, she intended to collect, one way or another, Cinder be damned._ ( **Base Idea: As children, Jaune meets Neo and becomes fast friends with her, eventually making a promise to become 'her possession' when they became older. Jaune of course, forgets all about this as he moves on with life, eventually finding himself at Beacon. To Neo, this becomes her very life, working only on the outskirts of the criminal world while searching for Jaune. When she finds him, sparks fly, and she finds herself caught between a normal life, and Cinder…)**

* * *

 **So there ya go. Those are the ideas I have thus far. I'll give a week maybe two for the poll, so if you really enjoy my work, please take the time to quickly pick a new fic. In the meantime, I'll do my best to get The Phantom Nevermore up and rolling again as soon as I have some inspiration on how to satisfyingly finish this first book.**

 **Special shout-out to Benthino for his enjoyable reviews, to garoorar for his insightful commentary, and to readerdreamer5625 for his own insightful questions.**

 **Hell, you know what? Shout out to all of you wonderful fans. You guys and your reviews seriously make it worth the effort and I really hope to keep entertaining you guys in the future!**

 **(Oh and a secret shout out to the two of you who offered to draw the Phantom for me. You guys are going to get an extra special shout out, IN ALL CAPS! AND BOLD! AND ITALIZED! AND COLORED-Wait. No, I can't do that. Damn.)**

 **This is LaughingLefou, signing out!**


	19. Coming Home To Roost (Pt 2)

_**Okay, so here goes. The newest chapter. Up sooner than expected. You can thank NBomber for giving me the brilliant idea of how to not only balance the idea of Jaune returning to Beacon and continuing his larcenous activities, but how to have a little more fun with the delightful troll that is Thaddeus. Thanks also to TheArcanist for reminding me to keep with what the characters would do, not trying to force something else. Hats off to you guys, and keep watching the sky…**_

 _ **Cover Art by gamerandartist35**_

* * *

 _I do not own RWBY_

 **Chapter 16: Coming Home To Roost (Pt. 2)**

 **[Unknown Location – Unknown Location]**

Roman would have rather been anywhere else. A jail cell, perhaps, would be nicer. It'd certainly be a whole hell of a lot safer, he could definitely say that. It wasn't the location itself that was the issue. Their little hideout was certainly a comfortable one; Cinder made damn sure of that. The woman wasn't pleased unless she was living in the lap of luxury at all times, and even when she was supposed to be laying low, she insisted on only the finest. So the couches were all velvet and soft cushions and there was mood lighting and the whole nine yards.

No, it was the present company that made Roman really wish that Neo _hadn't_ saved him from his imprisonment after the (relatively) successful train breach. Said present company comprised of himself, Neo, Mercury, Emerald and of course, Cinder herself. And she was _not_ happy. Roman could tell because she was speaking in a very clipped tone of voice, and her eyes were glowing, as though she were about to attack any of them at any moment. _Maybe if all of us attacked her back at once, we could survive? Maybe?_

He subtly shook his head. That wouldn't work, mainly because Mercury and Emerald were fiercely loyal to the burning seductress. Neo was far to valuable to lose because of how useful she was at rescuing those who'd been captured, so the only person left on Cinder's list who she could kill was him. He prayed that this failure wouldn't be placed on his shoulders, but what the hell could he do? It was Mercury's job to take care of the damnable bird, and he almost did too, until that weird shadow Semblance decided to interfere.

"An accomplice, you say?" Cinder quietly asked. She didn't need to speak up to be heard. The moment she stepped into the room, _everyone_ shut up.

Mercury nodded. His head was still bandaged from being slammed into the ceiling. He acted like it didn't hurt, but the stumbling and dizziness he'd been afflicted with afterward spoke otherwise. The kid actually got a solid hit on him, and it was only due to the kid's carelessness that Mercury was able to get the upper hand. "The Phantom Nevermore's Semblance is Kinetic Redistribution. He was able to absorb my kicks and grieve shots. When he hit me, I'm guessing he used up all of his energy on throwing me upwards. Whoever saved the kid, threw me away with some shadow and used it to remove the kid from the area..."

Cinder frowned. It was hard to notice in the dim lighting, but it was quite easy to tell when one worked with her long enough. This wasn't a good sign. If she was smiling, chances are you were _mostly_ safe, but a frown meant that someone was going to pay. "And of the Crimson Heart?"

She was met with silence, her demeanor growing more and more irritable by the second until Roman finally spoke up, his voice slightly trembling. "H-he...escaped with it."

Cinder didn't respond to that, instead choosing to lift the glass of wine she had poured for herself earlier up to her lips. Slowly she sipped upon it until it was drained of the dark liquid and sat staring at all of them. The tension in the room was palpable, and Roman dearly wished he had a drink or fifteen of his own. Suddenly, the glass in her hand began to glow orange as cracks appeared in it, before the thing shattered into dust in her hands. "We have lost three of the Pure Dust Crystals to this thief. I want him found, and I want him dead." Her voice was low and deadly, filling everyone, even Neo with a sense of dread.

"Understood." Mercury and Emerald both bowed.

Roman grimaced. Great. Now he needed to figure out how to calm Cinder down-wait. He did have _that._ Clearing his throat, he spoke up, putting back on his usual cocky grin, the cigar in his mouth switching sides, "Well, it's not _all_ bad news."

Cinder raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"I've got _that_."

Cinder's face turned from angry to impassive, and Roman felt a ray of hope. She tapped her long nails onto the arm of the couch she was currently occupying, her eyes closed as if deep in thought. "How soon until it can be deployed?" She asked, fixing him with her usual smoldering gaze.

Roman made a show of nonchalance, shrugging. "Any time. I can even sweeten the deal with a couple of those new Paladin models we managed to filch." Roman felt relief wash over him as Cinder's lips slowly turned upwards into a smile.

"I suppose then, we should test _that_ out. Vale should be a nice place to do so, don't you agree, Torchwick, dear?"

Roman nodded, taking the cigar out and breathing out a cloud of acrid air. "Sounds like a blast, assuming those annoying brats don't stick their noses in our business again."

Cinder lay back smiling. "I'm sure you'll find some way to deal with them, Roman. I'd be disappointed otherwise."

Roman chuckled, but it sounded almost forced, as though he were trying to hide trepidation. "S-sure. Of course..." _Great job Torchwick! Paint a target on yourself for Cinder why don't you? It's fine, it's fine. That should take care of them, even if all of the brats show up…_

 **[Two Days After Thaddeus Meet – Beacon – Headmaster's Office]**

 _Riiiiinnngggg...Riiiinnnnnggggg…-Click_

"Hello, Beacon Academy, Headmaster Ozpin speaking."

Silence, then, "Hey, Ozpin! Buddy! Pal! Friend!"

The Headmaster of Beacon raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar voice. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

"You forgot me already? I can _bear_ -ly hold myself together!" The voice answered, giving a very, very fake sniff.

Ozpin's hand tightened on his coffee mug and his eyes narrowed. "Oh, wonderful. Just who I wanted to hear from...What do you want, Thaddeus?"

"Ozpin! I can't believe you'd treat me like that after all we've been through!" Thaddeus' voice was annoyingly chipper as usual, in contrast to Ozipin's caustic sarcasm.

"Sorry, but you'll find my patience has been growing thin with criminals as of late. Especially ones who've been interfering in matters of global security." Ozpin's tone took an accusatory tone as he finished his sentence. Glynda, who'd been listening in from the other room, poked her head in, her face a questioning one. Ozpin returned her glance with an irritated one of his own, even as Thaddeus spoke up again.

"Wait, wait, wait. I've been retired for thirty years, Ozzy. What on Remnant are you talking about? Global Security?" Thaddeus actually sounded genuine for once, a surprise in Ozpin's opinion.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about Thaddeus. The Phantom Nevermore? Were Ursi too out of style for you?" Ozpin practically spat. Glynda frowned, her eyes narrowing. Only one person could make Ozpin lose his cool like that. The same bastard who could so easily anger her as well. Thaddeus Arc, the exiled Arc member. If there was one thing Glynda was glad about, it was that Jaune was nothing like his uncle. A pity he'd left; she prayed he didn't end up to turn out like him because of that.

"You mean that kid? Ozzy, I've seen the news; hell I've seen the security footage from that night! I don't know what you think I look like now Ozzy, but I sure as hell don't look _that_ young. Trust me, I wish I did; picking up women would be a whole hell of a lot easier!" Thaddeus chuckled, earning an irritated groan from Beacon's Headmaster.

"Who else would be insane enough to bring back the Phantom Thief to Vale?" Ozpin muttered darkly, taking a sip of his coffee. God, he needed it right now.

"First of all, Ozzy, that was never confirmed. No evidence, at least nothing not circumstantial. Secondly, people are inspired by things all the time. Someone probably found old footage of my- _The Shadow Ursa's_ heists and decided to recreate it. Honestly, if anything, I'm flattered."

Ozpin groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "For what then, did you call me after thirty years of disappearing? I'd genuinely hoped you'd gotten eaten by an Ursa."

"Ozzy! I'm hurt! I called because I was ready to turn over a new leaf! Get a new lease on life! Teach the next generation of heroes!"

Ozpin almost dropped his coffee in shock, his eyes widening in horror and realization. "No. No, no, no, no, no-no-no-no-nononononono! I will _never_ hire you on as a Professor! I don't have enough coffee to deal with you even if you _were_ on the straight and narrow!"

"Now, now Ozzy, don't be that way! I have a wealth of information and skills I could pass onto the next generation of Hunters! Sure, I don't usually hunt Grimm, but with my expertise in stealth and infiltration, the next generation of hunters could learn so much from me!" Thaddeus proudly exclaimed.

"You honestly think we're just going to let some random person pop into the school and start teaching, especially since said person was, even if not convicted, suspected of Grand Larceny?"

There was a few seconds of silence, before Thaddeus spoke up again. "In this day in age, can you really afford to not acquire the best talents around to help the children stand a chance against the darkness that encroaches us? The Grimm are moving in greater numbers, criminal organizations are becoming bolder and the White Fang are causing chaos on an unprecedented scale." Thaddeus cleared his throat. "If it makes you feel any better, I can even help you try to capture this Phantom Thief of yours."

Ozpin began to open his mouth, but quickly shut it, his expression becoming thoughtful. "Actually...you make a slight point. You've had experience in the underground...with Cinder and her forces gaining power, preparing our students to deal with the Valian underground might be what's needed. Having your expertise in dealing with this Phantom problem would only sweeten the deal. Why though? You never struck me as the teaching type."

"Three reasons, Ozzy. First, I have a personal stake in this. I'm trying to convince my nephew to return to Beacon."

Ozpin this time actually spat his coffee out. "What?! You know where Jaune Arc is?"

"Right now? Probably asleep. Kid needs it."

Ozpin was struck speechless for a few moments before managing to actually find the words to speak again. "You...you've been taking care of him?"

Thaddeus' voice grew a bit darker, almost bitter as he replied with, "Someone had to."

"You don't believe his parents would?"

"You don't understand the Arc Traditions. Jaune might not have tried to perform the Blade Dance, but he still has failed the Arc Clan. Hell, he might not have known it, but when I found in him in the Forever Fall forest, he was attempting the Rite of the Broken Blade." Thaddeus murmured the last bit, his tone falling sorrowfully.

Ozpin hand began to shake. "You...you can't mean..."

"Kill the Grimm until they kill you. Ritualistic suicide."

"He tried to…?"

"Yeah. I've taken him in. Trained him. Forged him. You'd never recognize him now. He's got it all. Confidence, courage and skill. He can take any of your Hunters on and come out on top."

Ozpin put his coffee down, hand still shaking in shock. "You...you'll bring him back? If I give you this job?"

"I'll try to, but why do you want him back so bad Ozzy? You weren't the type to attach yourself to any particular person, so to what reason do you want Jaune back?"

"Jaune was...possibly still _is_ a tactical mastermind. While his combat skills were lacking severely, his quick thinking and team tactics were above someone of his level. Losing him was also a massive blow the moral of his own team, as well as Team RWBY. One of my best students, Pyrrha Nikos has taken the loss the worst. She's been still one of our best, but I can tell that losing Jaune has been...not good for her." Ozpin slowly explained, ending it with a sigh.

"Yeah. They approached me the other day. Figured out I was related to Jaune thanks to the bunny girl's Semblance."

"Velvet?"

"'dunno. Never said her name."

"Hm. You said there were other reasons for wanting to teach here?"

"Yeah. When I said I was turning over a new leaf, I wasn't joking Ozzy. Regardless of what I may or may not have done in the past, what matters is, even I had my own set of morals, and the actions of the White Fang and whoever is pulling their strings goes against everything I stand for."

"Despite being a thief yourself?" Ozpin quipped, amused.

"Never proven, and thievery is one thing; murder is something else entirely. Not to mention that if I _did_ do all those things you're accusing me of, I'd never steal from anyone who couldn't afford it. They've been stealing from everyone and anything. Fact is, I'd like to help stop all this chaos going on. Unfortunately, I'm too old for this kind of thing or I'd do it myself. I can however, teach the next generation on how to stop this easier."

"...and the third reason?"

Ozpin swore he could _hear_ Thaddeus' smile as he finished with, "I get to screw with you and the rest of the Beacon staff."

"...you are not making me want to hire you."

"Fine, Ozzy. But I gave you my reasons."

Before Thaddeus could hang up though, Ozpin cut in again. "Wait. I...I'll talk with the rest of the staff. As much as I hate to admit it, you did have a good point. You never actually caused anyone any permanent harm, and you _do_ have expertise on things we don't have being taught at our school. I have one condition though."

"Oh?"

"If you join Beacon, Jaune comes with you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

 **[Casa De Arc]**

Thaddeus hit the end button his Scroll, and like Pavlov's dog hearing the bell, Jaune exited his room, yawning and stretching. "So, how's the stomach?" Thaddeus asked, grinning his usual grin.

"It's been better, but I don't feel like I've been kicked by a mule thirty or forty times, so there's that." Jaune yawned again and shook his head. "I'm starving too. Liquid diet sucks."

Thaddeus chuckled. "Tell me about it. Fourth heist, took a shotgun slug right to the stomach and they were using HVHI rounds."

Jaune cocked his head to the side. "HVHI?"

"High Velocity-High Impact rounds. They use high-quality Red Dust that's been crystallized instead of just lower quality, powdered Red Dust, and the rounds are designed to collapse on impact instead of piercing. Massive stopping power, but ungodly kickback. They don't even make them for anything less than Shotguns. Usually they're designed for sniper rifles."

Jaune winced. "Ouch, that does not sound fun."

"No, no it does not." Thaddeus slid his Scroll into his pocket with a flourish and grinned. "So, I got some news for you."

"Oh?" Jaune stumbled his way to the kitchen and started digging around in the pantry, barely giving any attention to his uncle as he tried his best to grab something his stomach could handle.

"Yours truly just got himself a fun new job."

Jaune grabbed a box of some sugary, chocolatey cereal. _Well, it's no Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes, but I'll run with it._ "It's not going to interfere with anything, will it? Or will I need to find my own backup after this?" Jaune didn't sound bitter, simply curious. He figured the day would come when Thaddeus would stop acting as backup and have him work solely on his own.

"Not at all!"

"Awesome." Jaune gave a small smile. "I've enjoyed working with you too much."

"Of course you did! My charming antics and magnetic personality are too much fun to work with!"

"So what job did you get? Do you even need a job?"

"Pfft, I've got enough Lien to start wiping my butt with it. I think the only family with more cash than I have is the Schnee's, but that takes a completely different sort of thief to acquire that much money!"

Jaune snorted as he poured himself a bowl of the cereal and grabbed the milk. "Ha! I heard that!"

"So, my new job...I just applied to become a Professor at Beacon!" Thaddeus cheered.

Jaune stopped in mid stride, face frozen in shock, the hand holding the milk trembling. "W-w-w-what?" His voice was just barely above a whisper with shock.

"Yep! Well, it's not confirmed yet, but Ol' Ozzy's gonna talk with the rest of the staff and try to convince them to let me try my hand at teaching. I think I'd make a pretty awesome Professor, wouldn't you agree?"

Jaune's hand clenched tighter around the milk jug's handle and his voice became quite low and angry. "This wouldn't have anything to do with trying to convince me to return, does it?"

Thaddeus shrugged. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. See, here's the thing. You come back normally, and your days as the Phantom are done. You need someone on the inside to help you sneak out at night to perform your heists. As a professor, I'd be in the perfect spot to help you. Hell, I even offered to help Ozzy find the Phantom Nevermore if he hired me, so that means even more people off your back. If you're sent on a mission to retrieve one of the Pure Dust Crystals, you can always just palm the crystal when you find it, and, 'Oh, look! We're too late. And the Phantom left a note...'" Thaddeus gave Jaune the biggest shit-eating grin that the younger blond had ever seen in his life.

Jaune's face turned impassive and he began to stroke his chin. "So what you're saying is...if I go back, you become a Professor, teaching things and helping keep the heat off of me, and I can continue to steal the Pure Dust Crystals right out from under Ozpin's nose?"

"Sounds like a blast, huh? Not only that, you get to be close to your friends again. They're happy, you're happy, I get to make Ozpin and the rest have a stroke from annoyance; everyone-er, almost everyone wins!"

Jaune stroked his chin some more, giving a 'hm' of thinking. "Let me...let me think on it, okay?"

Thaddeus nodded. "That's all I'm asking."

"With that, I'm gonna finally eat something solid and watch some television." The younger blond strolled to their couch and threw himself into the seat, aiming his remote and turning on the TV. "Ooh, _Immortal_ is on! Wonder how that idiot's gonna die next?" Jaune dug into his cereal as the show played, watching as the blond moron on screen found himself impaled on a Nevermore's feather, spouting his catch-phrase. 'Oh for f—k's sake.'

"God that show is stupid. It'll rot your brain." Thaddeus sighed, shaking his head dramatically.

"Hey, I think it's funny!" Jaune turned his attention back to the television, when suddenly the show cut out, and was replaced by the face of reporter Lisa Lavender.

 _We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news. Vale is currently under attack by unknown forces! We urge all citizens without a Hunting license to remain in their homes while this is being dealt with. Reports have shown a pair of Paladins along with a previously unseen Atlasian Spider Droid have been causing severe damage down by the Piers. Again, we urge all citizens to remain in their homes until this is dealt with!_

Jaune watched as a helicopter camera focused down onto what looked to be one of the many Valian docks and his eyes widened. They were hard to see from the distance and angle, but even Jaune couldn't deny that fighting for their lives against the three massive mechs, were Team RWBY and Team JNPR, throwing their all into the fight. He could see one of the Paladins give a powerful kick and saw something red, possibly Ruby, being launched with terrifying force. The younger blond winced when he saw that, his eyes widening even further. "R-Ruby..."

Thaddeus spoke not a word as he watched with Jaune, watching as the two teams tried their best to fight off the uneven odds. "Shit...they're good, but that Spider Droid...is that a new model? It's faster than the ones I remember..."

Jaune suddenly stood to his feet, his blue eyes shadowed by his bangs, fists clenched. _I can't just sit here! They need help!_ "U-uncle Thaddeus?" Jaune fell silent, turning to his Uncle.

"...Yeah?"

Jaune looked up, his face set with a determination that Thaddeus hadn't seen in a while. "I'm going to help."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note: Okay, first things first. SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO KEGISPRINGFIELD, GAMERANDARTIST35, NBOMBER AND THEARCANIST! The first two for the absolutely amazing Phantom Nevermore fanart, and the last two for giving me inspiration to keep going.**_

 _ **I know many of you might not be too excited about Jaune coming back to Beacon after all, but I ask of all of you to trust me. I'll give my best, and hopefully continue to entertain all of you. I already have a few great ideas, and they should mesh well when we get to The Phantom Nevermore: Chaos Theory. I'm going to have some serious fun with Thaddeus and his interactions with students and staff once he joins Beacon's staff.**_

 _ **No, the Immortal reference isn't me confirming the next fic, I just thought it would be a silly shout out. The poll will continue to be up until next Friday (Eastern US Time) and I'll decide from there, so if you haven't taken part in the poll, now's your best chance to go about doing that.**_

 _ **And as always, keep the reviews coming!**_


	20. Coming Home To Roost (Pt 3)

_I do not own RWBY. Thanks for those of you who've continued to stick around even after my controversial decision!_

 **Chapter 17: Coming Home To Roost (Pt. 3)**

"Please tell me you actually have a plan?" Thaddeus gave a tired grin.

"Er..." Jaune's confident image quickly fell apart as realization struck, leaving him standing in the middle of the living room, eye twitching. "Damn it! I can't use Sturm or Drang against mechs! Not to mention they'd recognize the weaponry the moment I pulled it out! Wait, I can't even use my Semblance!" Jaune started to pace back and forth, blue eyes widening in a panic.

"Jaune, calm down. Think."

"I can't! If I use my Semblance I'm found out, I can't use my normal weaponry, I'm boned!"

" _Jaune_!" Thaddeus snapped his fingers as he yelled Jaune's name, causing the blond boy to stop in his tracks. "You'll do them no good if you're panicking! You need to calm down and think. You have a sharp mind, use it."

"It's kind of hard to maintain a calm mind when my friends are getting their asses kicked!"

"You've done it before as a Hunter, and you'll need to do it again. Now think, what do you need?"

Jaune took a deep breath and relaxed, his eyes closing as his mind raced. "I...I need a weapon. Something that can actually take on a mech."

"Exactly."

"I haven't used a sword and shield in ages, so I'd be no help to them with one. I can use guns though, and I guess long knives, assuming they're about the same weight and length as my baton."

"Keep going."

"My best bet would be guns, but I don't have anything that would actually..." Jaune opened his eyes and he trailed off as he saw Thaddeus' knowing grin.

"Yeeeessss?" Thaddeus continued.

"Do...do you have weaponry?"

Thaddeus gave a roaring laugh and stood up in his seat fast enough to make Jaune dizzy. "I've been waiting for you to ask that!" The older blond made his way over to a section of the wall near the television and began to tap around with his finger. Satisfied, he proceeded to hit the wall hard. To Jaune's surprise, the living room began to change. The couch and the floor below it flipped over, the television and the wall behind it flipped around and even the island in their kitchen suddenly split open, all revealing a veritable armory of weaponry. Guns, knives, swords, spears, the works. Jaune's jaw hit the floor. "Let's just say I happen to also be a weapons collector in addition to the world's most charming and successful thief. Now let's see here...guns, guns...which one to have you use…?"

Jaune sat there, bug-eyed and making a great imitation of a goldfish as he tried to comprehend how he'd been living in an apartment that would make Ruby faint with glee. "You...I...that...bazooka... _chainsaw guitar?!_ "

"Oh yeah, that, one of my favorites. It's actually not the only one of it's kind either, but it's an interesting weapon."

"How come I never got to use that?"

Thaddeus looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Please, can you imagine a suave, devilishly handsome Phantom Thief using something so uncouth as a chainsaw guitar? It's too loud, noisy and destructive." Thaddeus kept looking around until his hands rested upon what he'd been looking for. "That's it."

"Hm?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

Thaddeus turned around and Jaune's jaw dropped again. In his hands rested two of the largest, and most beautiful handguns Jaune had ever laid eyes on. The metal was so black that Jaune swore he could see it absorbing the ambient light. The barrels were almost as long as Thaddeus' forearms, the triggers and hammer were skeletonized and Jaune swore the grips looked a bit larger than a normal gun would normally have. "Dual Blackhawk .50 caliber hand-cannons. _The_ most powerful handgun in Remnant. So powerful in fact, that you technically aren't allowed to even purchase one without an S Rank Hunting license."

"Wait, WHAT?"

"Yep. These babies are so powerful that they only take specialty bullets in fact. I'll be giving you my entire stock, but when we get to Beacon, I'll teach you how to make them."

"Specialty bullets?"

"HVHI rounds for handguns. Here's the issue. You can't fire these. Not normally anyway."

Jaune groaned. "What good does that do me?!"

"Hang on, hang on. Your friends look like they've got their second wind, so you have some time to plan." Thaddues pointed to the television where it looked like the two teams were actually pushing back the Paladins, avoiding the Spider Droid's attacks as best they could. "These guns and these bullets have a kickback that no normal person can fire. It requires a Semblance that can handle the incredible kickback, namely, ones like yours."

"Um, problem. Unless you plan on having me get caught-"

"No two Semblances are the same, but many are alike. All you have to do is convince them that you simply have a similar Semblance. Shouldn't be too hard when you think about it. They most likely won't want to believe you're the Phantom Nevermore, so they'll easily believe you."

"Ah, what you said about lying?"

"Tell them what they want to hear. They'll believe it more often than not."

"R-right." Jaune watched as his uncle grabbed a pair of shoulder holsters, tossing them over to Jaune, who quickly put them on. Following that, Jaune grabbed the twin handguns, his eyes lighting up. They were heavy, sure, but with his Semblance, they'd have virtually no kickback to speak of, making his accuracy with them terrifying.

"Now here is the ammo. You have four spare clips of these in addition to the two already inside of the weapons themselves, so don't go too buck wild." Thaddeus handed them over as well, holding onto them tightly when Jaune tried to take them. "As a word of warning do _not_ fire these guns without using your Semblance, _especially_ with this kind of ammo. The amount of kickback can and _will_ dislocate your arm. Hell, probably even _with_ Aura." Thaddeus warned somberly.

"G-gotcha." Jaune holstered the twin hand cannons and pocketed the clips, making for the door before he froze. "Wait…shit! They're all the way across Vale! How the hell will I get there in time?"

Thaddeus' grin hadn't left his face, if anything growing more mischievous by the second. "You don't think I don't have that covered?" Jaune's eyebrow rose, tilting his head quizzically. Thaddeus reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, with a little small cartoon Nevermore hanging from them. "I figure I can give you your birthday present early. It's in the alley down where you usually leave out of."

"R-right...So...I'll..." Jaune trailed off.

"Get outta here. They need you."

Jaune nodded and burst out the door, taking off running up the stairs, Thaddeus watching him leave with a smile on his face. "Best of luck to you kid...I think you might need it."

Jaune meanwhile made his way up to the rooftop, pushing the door open in a rush, with his silver coat flowing behind him. He rushed to the edge of the roof and leaped down, landing on the pavement between the two close buildings below, absorbing the impact with his Semblance. As he stood, he looked around...and froze.

"...Happy Birthday to me…."

 **[Vale – Dockyard – Dock 16]**

"Delta Formation!" Ren's voice cut clear through the sounds of chaos and metal, Team SNPR quickly rushing to his side in a diamond formation. The Paladin they had been choosing to fight rushed in at a speed unfitting for it's massive metal bulk. SNPR waited until the mech was almost on top of them before splitting up in the for cardinal directions. Pyrrha took the front of the mech, using her Semblance to try and slow it down while Nora reared her hammer back and smashed at the legs, causing an explosion. One of its legs tilted to the side, but it managed to maintain its balance and retaliated with a sweep of its arm, a pile bunker slamming into the ground hard enough to toss Nora aside with a cry of pain.

Before Ren could rush to her aid, a series of fast clanks alerted him to their third opponent, the Spider Droid that rushed in, sweeping its front legs in an arc before it and forcing SNPR to disperse. "Damn it! I can't keep this damn thing away long enough to take on the Paladin!" Ren spat angrily, cursing his inability to come up with a decent plan long enough.

Not too far away, Team RWBY wasn't having much better luck. Apparently after their fight with the first Paladin piloted by Roman, and their fights with the Paladins on the train that caused the Breach, Cinder and her forces had decided to start coming up with counters to their strategies. Freezerburn's mist had been sucked into an air vent somewhere and used against them. Checkmate had ended up not even managing to cause a dent into its new armor, and Bumblebee only ended up with Yang eating a giant fist made of metal and launched hard enough for them to assume that another go would be a terrible idea. Keeping up with it was beginning to be a losing battle. Ruby herself had taken a mech foot and was feeling pretty woozy. Yang was right behind her, and as the second ticked by, it was beginning to look like a one-sided battle.

The fact that the Spider Droid seemed to be much smarter than they'd expect hadn't helped matters any. It kept running back and forth between the two teams, forcing them pay attention to two giant destructive mechs at once. SNPR were fairing only slightly better, and that was only because Pyrrha's Semblance was invaluable in fighting the giant metal creatures. Still, even they were losing endurance as the fight waged on and on. It was all they could do to keep going until reinforcements joined.

"You guys okay?!" Ruby cried out, rolling out from under the thundering footsteps of the Paladin.

"We're still alive!" Sun screamed back, firing a few rounds from his flintlock pistols, the bullets doing about as much as a light breeze.

Pyrrha fired her spear into the joint behind SNPR's Paladin foe, sticking it into the wires and gears still exposed and a loud screeching, grinding noise could be heard as the leg attempted to move, unsuccessfully. "Nora!" She cried out, catching the orange-haired girl's attention. Nora didn't need to be told what to do, she flipped Magnhild and slammed it into the end of the hammer, driving it further into the Paladin's leg. There was a shower of sparks and the mech actually bent down on its injured knee, now unable to move.

Unfortunately this got the attention of the Spider Droid and it skittered over to them, slamming one of its massive forelegs into the ground, causing the ground to crack and splinter. Pieces of rubble and debris flew everywhere, a particularly large piece slamming into Pyrrha and throwing her to the ground with a cry of pain, pinning her to the ground. If that wasn't bad enough, Pyrrha looked up to see the creature's guns moving and shifting into one giant cannon, the front of it glowing blue as it began to charge up its laser with Pyrrha in its sights. Pyrrha struggled to get free, wriggling her body to try and get free of the large chunk of pavement pinning her to the ground before the blast fired, each second causing her to panic more and more.

"Pyrrha!" Ren shouted, trying to rush to her aid, but the Paladin fired a burst of machine gun fire, keeping him at bay.

The Spartan stared into the barrel of the cannon as the glow became brighter and brighter, her eyes staring to tear up. _Is this how I die? This...this isn't fair…_ She pulled with all of her might, using Milo enhanced with her Semblance to give her just enough room to wriggle out from under the debris, but even Pyrrha could tell that it was too late. Even if she started running, the laser would certainly follow her fast enough to finish her off. _I don't want to die like this! I have so much I want to do! I...I want to see him again…_ Pyrrha closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek as she waited for the burst of energy to sear her…

So she could be forgiven for not hearing the deep, bass rumbling of an engine, and the roar of the exhaust as some black and silver shot in from the mainland, moving at an extreme velocity. Pyrrha might not have noticed it, but Ren, Nora and Sun did, seeing a massive black form rush by with unnerving speed. What the Spartan _did_ notice however, was that instead of a moment of agony before her demise, she felt _something_ grab her roughly around the waist and she was thrown awkwardly onto what she assumed to be a motorcycle from the rumbling beneath her. She looked up in shock to see a white and red helmeted rider, the helmet resembling the face of a Beowulf with its mouth wide open, the rider's identity hidden by a black visor. "Duck!" The rider yelled, his voice slightly muffled by his helmet.

Pyrrha, having been thrown onto the motorcycle facing the rider, simply grabbed onto him to steady herself and ducked her head down into his chest. As the motorcycle came to a screeching, drift, the rider reached around under his silver coat and pulled what Pyrrha could only describe as a hand gun designed for killing Goliaths, and pulled the trigger. The gun gave a mighty roar, almost deafening her. Almost simultaneously, she heard a loud screech of metal and turned over her shoulder to see that the Spider Droid's cannon had been knocked away somehow, the blue laser firing...right at the Paladin that RWBY had been fighting. The laser pierced right through the massive mech, melting a hole right through the center of the robot and causing it to topple over, unmoving amidst cheers from the girls surrounding it.

"Who...who are you?" Pyrrha whispered in shock. The rider didn't answer, instead holstering his firearm, then throwing one arm around her to keep her steady. He gunned the engine once driving off with Pyrrha still in tow. He didn't drive far however, parking the massive black bike behind a wall of metal shipping containers.

"You alright?" the rider asked, his voice oddly tender.

Pyrrha nodded. "You have my thanks, stranger." She hopped off the bike, nodding to Team RWBY and the rest of Team SNPR as they quickly made their way behind the containers as well, trying to keep away from the Spider Droid.

"Nice shooting!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Seriously, thanks. That thing was seriously starting to get on my nerves." Blake interjected, her voice low and amused.

"You totally saved P-money!" Nora added, bouncing up and down.

The rider gave a low chuckle. "Don't thank me just yet," he replied, his hands undoing the strap beneath his chin and slowly lifting up the helmet. "This battle's far from over." The helmet was removed and everyone's eyes flew open, jaws falling open in shock. Pyrrha's emerald eyes began to mist over as she saw a very familiar face, blond hair, deep blue eyes and a goofy grin.

Everyone was struck silent unable to articulate words. Yang had decided to do a perfect imitation of a fish, mouth moving up and down trying to find what to say. Blake's eyes were as wide open as they could get. Ruby's face was slowly filling with joy and awe and Weiss was practically beaming.

"J-Jaune?" Nora squeaked, looking like she was disbelieving what she saw.

"Yeah. Long time, no see." Jaune grinned, looking nervously off to the side as he scratched the back of his head. He suddenly felt the air being forced from his lungs as someone grabbed him in an almost bone-crushing hug. "GAH!" Jaune looked down to see Pyrrha, arms tight around his torso, face buried in his chest. He could feel something wet falling on his chest through his shirt and his face grimaced. She was crying. Slowly, he wrapped his own arms around his former partner and hugged her back just as tightly. "Listen, we can talk later. Right now, we still have a battle to fight."

Pyrrha hesitantly untangled herself from Jaune, wiping her eyes with a sniff. "O-of c-course."

Jaune watched as everyone's faces turned hopeful and energetic. Ren stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Welcome back, Jaune." There was relief in his eyes and in his words and Jaune couldn't help but join hands with him, pulling him close in a one armed 'guy-hug.'

"Great to be back." He responded. "You guys have a plan?"

All of Team RWBY grimaced and frowned. "Er...we were just sort of winging it?" Jaune groaned and turned to his former teammates.

"Please tell me you guys had something?"

Ren gave a grimace. "Unfortunately no. The attack happened so suddenly that we didn't have any time to react, much less plan."

Jaune's lips turned upwards into a smirk. "Well, aren't you guys just lucky? Turns out, I happen to have one."

Ruby's eyes lit up and she jumped up and down excitedly. "Ooh, what is it? What is it?"

Yang simply looked impressed. "Jeeze, Vomit Boy! You ride in here on the sexiest damn motorbike since my Bumblebee, save Pyrrha, take out a Paladin with the Spider Droid, have an awesome handgun, _and_ you already have got some sort of scheme? You haven't been just sitting around have you?!"

"Damn straight. Listen up, 'cause here goes. That Spider Droid is a new model, it's faster and more resilient than the previous one, plus it's got advanced AI. Team RWBY? I need you guys to set Weiss up to freeze the second Paladin because I think it's probably going to start moving again soon. When I give the signal, I need Weiss to freeze it in place. Team SNPR?" 

Ren cut in with a knowing smirk. "It's Team JNPR. Or did you forget already, Jaune?"

Jaune stopped and closed his eyes with a warm chuckle. "Of course. Team JNPR?"

"Yes sir!" Nora exclaimed, saluting Jaune.

"Ready and waiting for orders, Jaune." Ren added.

"I may not be part of the team, but I'll follow you anyway!" Sun exclaimed, raising his hand for a high-five and almost immediately receiving one from Jaune.

Pyrrha's eyes, still misted over, gave one of the most brilliant smiles to Jaune that he swore he'd ever seen. "I've been waiting too long for this, Jaune." Her voice was soft and full of emotions that Jaune was sure he'd be subjected to soon enough.

"I need you guys to make your way up onto these boxes for a vantage point. When Weiss freezes the Paladin, I need you guys to throw everything you've got at the Spider Droid and make sure it doesn't advance." Jaune explained.

"What about you?" Ruby queried, tilting her head.

Jaune's face turned down right mischievous. "Who else do you think is going to keep the Spider Droid busy while you lure the second Paladin into place?" His suggestion was met with a bunch of angry and concerned faces.

"We are _NOT_ letting you take on that Spider alone, Jaune!" Ruby almost yelled at him.

"Seriously, those things are serious business, Jaune." Blake glared at him for even daring to try and go solo.

"You are not just going to see us again only to get yourself killed to foolishness! You can't take that on by yourself!" Pyrrha exclaimed.

Jaune however simply grinned, revving the engine of the long motorbike, blue eyes gleaming. "Oh yeah? Just watch me." With that, he gunned the engine and took off away from the group, laughing almost maniacally.

" _JAUNE!_ " Pyrrha exclaimed, starting to run off after him. She was stopped however, by a hand on her shoulder, a hand belonging to Sun.

"Hey, wait. Maybe..maybe he can. Let's trust him for now, something in that guy's eyes tells me he's got a few new tricks up his sleeve." Sun grinned down at her. "For now, I say we follow his orders."

Pyrrha and the rest of the two Teams looked at each other nervously, but all nodded in agreement, moving out to aid the prodigal blond. "Come on guys!" Ruby shouted excitedly. "Let's show Jaune what _we've_ all learned!"

" _YEAH!_ "

 _ **Author's Note: Another chapter down, and we finally have our heroes meet! What exactly is Jaune's plan? How will he be received once the battle reaches its conclusion? Where is Roman in all of this, and what of Neo? We're soon reaching the conclusion of this first book, but will everyone live happily ever after? (At least until The Phantom Nevermore: Chaos Theory). Tune in next time to find out!**_

 _ **And as always, keep the reviews coming!**_


	21. Coming Home To Roost (Pt 4)

_**Announcing the winner of the poll! It appears that my next work will be Immortal! Apparently all of you like the idea of Jaune being killed off in various horrible ways in between being molested and tossed around like a really annoyed football who has run completely out of f—ks to give. In addition to Immortal, I might actually start another story from the list, but I won't tell you which one. You'll just have to wait and find out.**_

 _I do not own RWBY._

 **Chapter 18: Coming Home To Roost (Pt. 4)**

Jaune laughed uproariously as he began to rush straight at the Spider Droid. One hand clutched the handlebar of his cycle, the other gripping one of his twin pistols. The Spider Droid opened fire, but Jaune weaved back and forth, dodging the rapid fusillade of shots while returning a couple of his own, smiling in victory as the massive metal monstrosity was forced back. As the mecha stumbled back by the sheer force from the shot, Jaune gunned the engine even harder. As soon as he was within spitting distance, he slammed on the breaks and turned, causing the large motorcycle to screech into a drift, sliding underneath the massive droid.

Sliding underneath the Spider Droid, Jaune let go of the handlebars and pulled out his second pistol, aimed up and began pumping shots into the underbelly of the Spider Droid, causing sparks and arcs of electricity to dance across its surface. When Thaddeus had mentioned the guns utterly devastating kickback, he wasn't kidding; Jaune could feel a rush of energy flow through his body with every shot fired. He didn't know if he had a limit to the amount of kinetic energy he could absorb, but he didn't wan to find out if one existed. Making sure he was fully behind the Spider Droid and hidden from the eyes of his friends, Jaune holstered his guns and grabbed the handlebars, kicking one foot out at one of the Spider Droid's legs. Focusing all of his absorbed energy into his foot, he made contact with the creature and there was a screeching sound of splitting metal as the creature's leg was actually torn off and launched underneath it.

As Jaune took care of the Spider Droid, Team RWBY had seemed almost energized by the appearance of their long lost friend and were all ready to take on the second Paladin. As Jaune said, the mech managed to get to its feet, and was already making its way towards Jaune as its pilot, whoever they were, noticed the Spider Droid having a difficult time attempting to take on Jaune and his motorcycle. However, a series of shots to its back by Yang caused it to pause its movements and start moving back towards RWBY. It rushed forward and slammed a pile bunker into the ground before it. This was dodged easily though, and retaliated in kind in the form of Crescent Rose slicing across the pneumatic tubes attached to its weapon. There was a hiss as the air was blown through it, rendering the weapon useless.

Completing the trifecta, Ren, Nora, Pyrrha and Sun climbed their way to the top of the wall of steel shipping containers, eventually reaching the top for a perfect sniping point. Team JNPR got in position and stared out over the battlefield. "Whoah..." Sun breathed out, watching as Jaune slid underneath the Spider Droid. A series of ear-splitting blasts signaled Jaune's attack and Pyrrha could help but give a cheer, one that was shared quickly by the rest of Team JNPR. Sun pulled out his scroll and held it up, following Jaune's movements.

"Alright everyone," Ren began, "Let's get ready to- Sun?"

"Er, yeah?" Sun gave a grin.

"What are you doing?"

"Filming Jaune, duh!" Sun gave Ren a thumbs up, who facepalmed.

"Why on Remnant are you filming him? We're supposed to be getting ready for his signal!" Ren glared at Sun as he chastised him.

"'Cause when Ozpin sees this, he _has_ to let Jaune come back!" Sun exclaimed, still following Jaune's progress with his Scroll's camera.

Ren started to speak, but stopped. Nora laughed. "You're right!" She exclaimed happily. "Ozpin will totally have to let him come back when he sees this!"

Pyrrha put a hand on Sun's shoulder with a smile. "Keep filming Sun. We'll handle things from here."

Sun continued filming as Jaune continued riding around the Spider Droid, and if he didn't know any better, he'd swear that the Spider Droid was looking confused by how it moved around as though it didn't know who or what to attack. Whenever it would start making its way towards Team RWBY, Jaune would either shoot it with one of his handguns, or he'd swerve his bike and ram into the mech's legs causing it to buckle temporarily. Eventually the mech began to fire continuous bursts of machine gun fire, following Jaune's movements.

As if he knew he was being filmed, Jaune pulled a tight turn, driving straight at the mech. As the mech began firing, the line of shots leading right up to where Jaune driving. Before the shots could reach him or the bike, Jaune fired another shot, causing the mech's machine gun to be knocked aside. Team JNPR watched in shock as Jaune began to actually stand on the motorcycle as it drove forward, leaping forward and actually stepping onto the mech itself as the motorcycle continued to move underneath the Spider Droid's legs. As he ran across the creature's body, Jaune fired downward, shot after shot as he rushed to the other side of it, leaping over the creature. His timing impeccable, Jaune managed to actually land back onto the motorcycle and drove away from the creature, its movements now stiffer and jerky.

Team JNPR sat, jaws fallen open, stunned and unable to speak. Jaune had literally just performed a trick that they'd never, _ever_ think he could do when he was still at Beacon. Evidently he'd been training like a madman while he went missing, and the fruits of his labor were blindingly obvious. Thaddeus must have been serious when he said that any of them would 'eat dirt' if they tried going toe to toe with him. "H-h-holy shit..." Sun whispered in shock.

"That was incredible!" Pyrrha breathed, eyes lighting up in joy at seeing her partner, her _friend_ , go to town on the Spider Droid.

Back to Team RWBY, the Paladin was finding itself in dire straits as it spun around, trying to knock aside the four girls who were tag-teaming the giant bipedal mech. Yang was fully utilizing her Semblance now, her fists slamming into the creature's arms, attempting to remove them. The new Paladin was made of sterner stuff, however, and it managed to maintain a better stance against the Team.

A sharp whistle from Jaune alerted the Team to his plan and they began to lure the Paladin closer to the mech, The massive bipedal form clanked and clambered its way after them, the pilot surely enraged at how they'd avoided defeat as of yet, as well as caused damage to the Paladin itself. The pilot reared the Paladin's arm back and attempted to punch Ruby, who flickered away in a puff of rose petals. The fist hit the ground, creating a crater in the asphalt below. This turned out to be a massive mistake as a large blue glyph appeared before it and ice suddenly burst from the ground, freezing not only its legs, but the creature's arm as well, causing it to be stuck fast.

"Done and done!" Ruby exclaimed, swinging Crescent Rose around in celebration.

" _Step two! Team JNPR, you're up!_ " Jaune cried out, driving around to the other side of the Spider Mech.

"You heard him!" Nora yelled loudly, "Open fire!"

 **[Vale – Dockyards –** _ **The Queen's Gambit**_ **]**

"What! No! No! NO!" Roman slammed his fist onto the table before him, biting down on his cigar. Before him was a screen, and on it, a number of different images. From what could be seen, it looked like cameras fixed upon the Spider Mech that was just over the coastline. He had been controlling the Spider Mech from his yacht, and until recently had been doing fairly well. With the two White Fang members causing havoc in the Paladins, Roman was able to keep the two teams on their toes and unable to fight back effectively.

This all changed when that blond kid that Neo was so enamored with suddenly showed up on the biggest motorcycle he'd ever laid eyes on. "Seriously? A f—king Schpelraven V12 Motorcycle? Where the hell did the kind get the kind of Lien for that?! Neo! Your boy toy is screwing everything up!" Roman was almost on the verge of panicking. The blond kid had caused some severe damage to the Spider Mech, and attempting to keep up with the kid was proving to be a losing battle.

Neo's multicolored gaze was utterly stunned, her pink and silver eyes wide in shock. [J-Jaune? But why?! Why are you with them?!]

"This isn't good! They froze the Paladin and-wait...where the hell did the kid go?!" Roman looked at the varying screens. Unfortunately, at least one of the cameras had been taken out by the kids massive handguns and he found himself unable to see out of one direction. "Crap, he's in my blind spot!" Before Roman could move the Spider Droid to remove Jaune from his bike, a sudden explosion slammed into the Spider Droid, throwing its cameras askew. Further more, a number of lights were blinking, causing Roman to give a high-pitched scream.

[What?! What happened? What's going on!?] Neo stuck her head over Roman's shoulder, trying to decipher the control panel.

"Someone just blew off the cover to the exhaust port!" Roman's hands were fiddling with buttons and levers, his eye twitching in rage, panic and fear.

[That's bad?]

"If they get the idea to light the damn thing on fire it'll go up like a damn fireball!" Roman hit a large red button, hoping that a giant laser cannon would give them some room. "If this thing gets taken out, Cinder will burn me alive!"

 **[Vale – Dockyards]**

Jaune grinned as he watched his team unleash a fusillade of gunfire, grenades and even Sun's clones, all of which slammed into the Spider Droid. As they did so, Jaune continued his back and forth driving, unleashing shots of his own, aiming for the joints of the creature. They had a limited amount of time before the Paladin would break free of its icy prison, and Jaune had to work fast before that happened. His hands rushed over the paneling underneath the handlebars, feeling around for something. With a small, almost inaudible _click_ a panel popped open in front of him, a forest green canister sitting in front of him with the words "Property of Atlas Military" written on it. It was a secret weapon his uncle had been so kind to have added to the motorbike before Jaune had ridden off with it.

 _[Flashback]_

 _Jaune revved the engine of the motorcycle as he burned gas like a madman, the only thought in his mind to save his friends before it was too late. He'd been an idiot, a stubborn fool. It'd been in front of him the entire time. His friends weren't getting mad at him mentioning himself because they were angry at him, or ashamed. They were sorrowful. It was anger born of worry, of concern, of loss. He'd been a right idiot to assume otherwise, but now, he'd fix his mess. With Thaddeus ready to join him at Beacon, he could continue his thievery while being right by his friends' sides. Sure, he'd feel a bit guilty hiding such a secret from them, but in the end, his intentions were mostly good._

 _"Jaune?" A voice crackled to life in Jaune's ear._

 _"Uncle Thaddeus?" Jaune asked in confusion, weaving in and out of the cars that were driving back to their homes to avoid the conflict going on._

 _"Hey, the helmet of yours has a direction connection to my Scroll. Listen up, I've got another surprise for you!"_

 _"What are you talking about?!"_

 _"Underneath the handlebars, there should be a hidden switch. It'll open up a compartment right in front of you. Inside is a secret weapon!"_

 _"What's that?"_

 _"The Spider Droid you're fighting is based off of an older, but successful model with one major flaw. The exhaust port tended to collect a lot of flammable material, and combine that with the highly reactive fuel source the SDC uses, if it got caught on fire, it'd explode. It looks like the Spider Droid your friends are fighting is along the same model, but it's got what looks like more advanced AI. I'd swear someone was controlling it. It's also got armor plating where the exhaust port is, so it's hard to actually get a fireball in there, which is where my little present comes into play."_

 _"How so?" Jaune gunned the engine, going far faster than he had any right to be, but he'd be damned if he got there too late._

 _"Inside is a grenade that has aerosolized Red No. 6. When you toss it, it'll create a massive cloud of Red Dust that hangs in the air. All you need after that is a spark, and the entire thing will go up like gasolene soaked bundle of tinder! You'll have to make sure the armor plating is removed before you do so, but if you're able to disable it long enough, you can shove the grenade in there and light the thing up. The explosion should be powerful enough to take out the Spider Droid and anything even remotely close!"_

 _"You...you seriously think of everything, don't you!?"_

 _"How else do you think I survived this long?"_

 _[End Flashback]_

Jaune could hear Team JNPR's weapons clicking and he knew it was time. He pulled the grenade out of its compartment and closed it, holding the grenade in one hand. Looking about, he saw it, the soot stained exhaust panel, sitting right underneath two of its legs. Jaune revved the engine and quickly passed by the Spider, pulling the pin with his teeth and shoving it into the hole. As Thaddeus had mentioned, a red cloud began to pour forth from the grenade, expanding as Jaune drove past the second Paladin. "Come on guys, behind the shipping containers! This is gonna be a _**big boom**_!"

Yang flashed Jaune a mischievous smile and nodded, with Ruby, Weiss and Blake hot on her heels, following Jaune's orders. Team JNPR watched interestedly as Jaune outran the cloud of red smoke. "What on earth is that?" Ren whispered in confusion.

"I have no idea...whatever it is, everyone's trying to avoid it." Nora responded.

"Wait, wait, wait, what the hell is Jaune doing?" Sun exclaimed. Jaune had stopped between the shipping containers and the expanding cloud of gas, doing... _something._ "Wait...is he lighting a cigarette?!"

Pyrrha, Ren and Nora stared in disbelief as Jaune pulled out a carton and flicked out a cigarette, grabbing it between his teeth. His other hand pulled out a lighter and he light it up, taking a long drag and releasing a cloud of acrid smoke. Pyrrha frowned and glared, crossing her arms underneath her breasts with a huff. "I'm going to have to break him of that habit." She growled, eye twitching.

Jaune continued to smoke, even as the Paladin started to creak and groan, the ice freezing it in place starting to crack. With a smile, Jaune took one last drag of the cigarette and with all the air of a very disinterested litterer, tossed the cigarette butt behind him, the motorcycle roaring to life as he gunned the engine once more and drove behind the stack of boxes, yelling at the top of his lungs, " _EVERYONE, GET DOWN!_ "

Team JNPR quickly leaped from the steel containers, landing to the ground seamlessly. The very moment they touched the ground, there was a sudden loud crackling noise, like a large something catching fire all at once, followed mere seconds later by the loudest explosion that even Nora had heard in ages. A wave of wind from the shock wave blew past the shipping containers, blowing about trash and even a trash can past their barricade of containers. When the blast had died down, everyone fixed each other with a stunned look and slowly made their way from behind the containers, gazing at the massive fireball that rose into the sky.

For a few moments, the only sound that could be heard was the roar of crackling flames and the sound of metal falling apart as the Spider Droid fell apart, looking twisted and burned in the wake of the massive explosion. It was barely recognizable in its ruined state. No one spoke a word as they watched the flames continue to rise.

It was Jaune who broke the silence, proceeding to whistle the Final Fantasy victory theme as he pulled yet another cigarette out of a pocket in his coat and lit it up, taking a smoke. There was more silence, then; "Can I have one?" Sun asked. Silently Jaune handed another cigarette in Sun's direction, the monkey Faunus grabbing it. "Got a light?" Jaune complied, flicking open his lighter and letting Sun light up.

After a few more moments, Pyrrha turned slowly to Jaune, who was still smoking, his gaze facing forward. Deftly, she reached forward, grabbing the cigarette from Jaune's lips and threw it to the ground, stomping on it with the high-heel of her boots. "H-hey!" Jaune shouted, frowning. "I was smoking that!"

Without another word, Pyrrha suddenly threw herself into his arms again, resting her face against his chest. He was there. He was real. It wasn't just some nice dream, Jaune was back. Unable to stop herself, she began to sniffle, crying into his chest. "You're back...you're really back..."

Jaune gave a nervous grin, scratching the back of his head with one hand while the other wrapped itself around Pyrrha. "Y-yeah...I am."

"I...I missed you so much Jaune...so much..." She continued, sniffling as she held him tightly.

Jaune looked around to see everyone else staring at him, with varying degrees of happiness. He stopped when he got to Ruby, who was staring at him and fidgeting, forcing Jaune to hold back his laughter. "Hey, Pyrrha? You can hug me as much as you want when we get back to Beacon, but for now, I think you should give everyone else a chance."

Pyrrha nodded again, wiping her eyes as she very, very hesitantly disentangled herself from Jaune. No sooner had she done so than Jaune felt someone else suddenly push themselves against him, and looked down to see Ruby hugging him tightly. "You're okay!" Ruby shouted, looking up at him with watery silver eyes.

Jaune softly ran a hand through her hair and smiled warmly down at her. "Sure am, Rubes."

Ruby wiped her own eyes, stepping back. Jaune smiled and looked up...only for another person to pull him into an embrace, just as tight as Pyrrha and Ruby did. "Jaune-Jaune!' Nora exclaimed, hugging him. "That was so super cool with the guns and the explosion and the motorcycle and-"

Jaune cut her off with a laugh. "Breathe Nora! I'd feel terrible if you passed out!"

Nora had the decency to at least blush a bit before letting him go. Jaune assumed that the hugging was done, even as he got off of the massively long motorcycle. He was soon proven wrong however, and much to his shock, found himself staring down at a head of white hair? Weiss looked up at him, with a very small frown. "Hmph. You get _one_." She muttered, tightening her grip on him.

His only response was to smile softly and in a very warm tone, respond back with, "Thanks, Weiss."

This was evidently the right answer as Weiss let go, smiling at him. Jaune suddenly felt himself being pulled aside by Yang, who much to his surprise was staring at him with a _very_ serious expression. "Jaune. I'm going to deadly serious here."

Jaune froze, grimacing. _She's going to beat the crap out of me for worrying Ruby, isn't she?_ He swallowed hard and nodded. "G-gotcha."

"I...am seriously kinda turned on right now." Yang replied, nodding sage.

Jaune deadpanned and smacked himself in the forehead. " _Moving on!_ " He shouted, turning towards Blake. He extended a hand, only to be met with an amused smirk.

"Oh, I see. Everyone else gets a hug and I get a handshake. I see how it is." Blake teased, earning a sputtered response from Jaune as he withdrew his hand, trying to explain himself.

"I-I-just didn't want to assume anything!" He shouted, nervously stepping forward. The cat Faunus stepped forward as well, embracing Jaune softly.

"Good to have you back Jaune." The hug was brief, but Jaune felt much better, knowing that everyone had been so happy to see him back.

Jaune scratched the back of his head even as Pyrrha immediately stepped forward once more and hugged him again. She seemed bound and determined to spend as much time holding him as possible, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't mind one bit. "So...um...yeah." He replied, lamely.

"You're coming back to Beacon?" Ren asked. His tone though made it clear that it wasn't a question, but an order.

Shaking his head with a chuckle, he looked down at Pyrrha who was clinging to him as though she were terrified he'd run off again. "Doesn't look like I've got much of a choice. Do have a request though."

"What's that?"

"I need to stop back at my Uncle's place. I didn't bring my luggage along for obvious reasons." Jaune looked down again at Pyrrha and with a small chuckle hugged her once more. "And yes, Pyrrha, you can come along with."

Pyrrha looked up at him, her emerald eyes sparkling, lips turned up in the happiest smile he'd ever seen on her, and Jaune knew he'd made the right decision.

 **[Vale – Dockyards –** _ **The Queen's Gambit**_ **]**

Roman sat at the console, his face pale and mouth hanging open in shock. The screens before him were all showing static and the lights denoting each function of the Spider Droid were completely shut off. He whimpered, running his hands over his face. "That's it. I'm dead."

[…] Neo was strangely silent.

He looked up at Neo and groaned. "Seriously? He's obviously working with this Beacon kids, so why the hell do you look so broken up?"

[I...I liked him. I thought he was in our line of work! I mean he came to you for Dust, didn't he?] Neo's eyes widened, looking almost desperate.

"Evidently, he was just getting Dust through back channels or something, I don't know!" Roman threw his hands up. "All I know is I'm as good as dead, and it's all _his_ fault!"

Neo fell silent again, her eyes turned downwards. Roman wasn't paying attention as he bemoaned his eventual fate, but was surprised when he heard Neo 'speak' up again, quietly. [Fine. If that's how things are going to be, I'll just have to sneak into Beacon then.]

"Er, what?"

[I can convince Cinder to let me go to Beacon under a disguise, probably as Mint, and from there, I'll simply convince Jaune to come to our side. Once he falls in love with me, he'll abandon those idiots and we'll have someone else on our side. I can even spy for her while I'm there.]

Roman would have argued with her, but the look in her eyes actually sent a shiver down his spine. Neo was dead serious about Jaune, and it was honestly starting to worry the older criminal. Maybe if he was lucky, Cinder would be more interested in Neo's infiltration of Beacon to hold off his execution…

 _ **Author's Note: Oh bloody hell, why did I write this? Oh, right, because I love you bastards and I want to bring you another chapter. Staying up waaaay too late is just another side effect of being an author. But yes, Jaune and his friends are now officially together, with a victory under their belts! Neo however has plans, and when they come to fruition, can Jaune and company survive? Will Jaune be able to resist Mint's charms? Will Pyrrha finally be able to break Jaune of his smoking habit? Will LaughingLefou actually get a decent sleeping schedule? Only one more chapter left before this comes to a close, and there are still many questions remaining.**_

 _ **And as always, remember to leave a review!**_


	22. Coming Home To Roost (Final Part)

_I do not own RWBY._

 **Chapter 19: Coming Home To Roost (Final Part)**

The professors and staff of Beacon stood in a row, faces serious and prepared. _He_ was coming. Ozpin was quietly sipping his coffee, Glynda was slowly slapping the palm of her hand with her riding crop, her gaze stern and both Port and Oobleck were holding their weapons at the ready. Standing to their right, their newest hire, Raven Branwen stood, glaring, her hand on the hilt of her Dust sword. She, above all others, looked extremely wrathful and Ozpin would be lying if he said he wasn't even the slightest bit worried about Yang's mother. Clearing his throat, Ozpin spoke up, hoping to relieve some of the tension in the air. "I do hope that our views towards Thaddeus will not shadow our views of his nephew."

Glynda shook her head. "I will reserve judgment. I'd like to believe that Jaune is of a strong enough moral fiber to resist corruption from Thaddeus."

Raven hmphed. "I hope he's not too attached to his uncle..."

"Ms. Branwen, please refrain from injuring the elder Arc. We have agreed to hire him in this time of our need. We all have our...issues with him, but he has brought up a good point. He is the best at what he does, and it is a skill set I'm afraid is in short supply in this school."

"Tch, I could easily pull double duty and teach a Stealth class. I'd rather do that then deal with him ever again." Raven growled, her red eyes narrowing even further.

"And remove you further from your daughter and your adoptive daughter?" Ozpin queried.

Raven's face suddenly faltered and she looked uneasy. "R-right." It was no secret that her relationship with her daughter was strained. It was only on the promise that she'd help also take care of Ruby as a surrogate mother that Yang was willing to give her a chance. It was only towards Yang and Ruby that the fearsome warrior ever showed any kindness or compassion.

Everyone went silent as the airship landed, waiting with baited breath. The doors opened and out he stepped, grinning the biggest shit eating grin that Ozpin had ever seen on his face. The Headmaster's eyes narrowed and he gripped his coffee mug tighter. The older blond stepped forward, arms stretched out, laughing joyously. He was wearing a very black and gray suit with a red tie, making him look both professional, and slightly criminal. "Ozzy! You brought out the welcome wagon for me!" Thaddeus exclaimed. "Peter! Bart! So good to see you two again! You're looking absolutely amazing!"

Port growled as he hefted his blunderbuss-axe. "Thaddeus. I'll be keeping my eye on you your _entire_ stay."

Oobleck mirrored his fellow teacher's actions. "Indeed, as will I."

"Excellent! I always did love an audience." Thaddeus seemed completely unfazed, much to their great annoyance. "Glynda! Look at you, you don't look like you've aged a day! You must still be fighting men off with a stick!"

"Hmph. Flattery will get you nowhere, you thief." Glynda clenched her riding crop tighter.

"Oh come now, don't be that way Glynda! Let's all let bygones be bygones! I'm here to help, honest! I'm a changed man! Well, mostly changed, anyway." Thaddeus shrugged. He looked around, and froze, his cheerful expression falling into a nervous tic. "R-Raven..." His voice was oddly soft and strained as he gazed upon the Yang look-a-like.

 _Sching!_ Thaddeus' eyes widened as the blade of Raven's blade rose to his throat in one lightning quick movement. "Thaddeus Arc..."

"Er...it's been a while..." Thaddeus looked around, for once looking uneasy.

"Not long enough." Raven sneered.

 _Click._ It was the sound of a gun cocking that caught the attention of everyone around and Ozpin's eyes widened to see Jaune Arc standing, silver coat fluttering in the wind as he held out a massive handgun, pointing it directly at Raven's head, his expression cool and calm. "That's my uncle you're threatening. I'd highly appreciate it if you'd cease and desist."

"M-mr. Arc?" Port stammered out, not sure what shocked him more; the fact that the young blond had come back at last, or the fact that he was pointing a weapon at one of the more terrifying teachers at Beacon.

Raven's gaze flickered to Jaune. "Put that thing down before you hurt yourself." She muttered dryly.

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "I'd suggest you do the same."

Thaddeus frowned. "Jaune, don't. It's fine."

"Jaune, you are currently holding a weapon at one of Beacon's professors." Glynda added, her expression firm, but not angry.

"Be that as it may, my uncle is family, and I will not stand to see him threatened like this." Jaune didn't back down, his Blackhawk still pointed at Raven's head.

Raven stood staring at Jaune for a brief moment more before slowly lowering her blade and sheathing it. A very small smile played around her lips. "Hm. Seems your nephew has more balls than you do." Raven snarked, before turning on her heel and walking off, a slight sway to her hips. "I highly expect to see that same level of bravery in Combat class, Arc." Her last comment was thrown towards Jaune who'd holstered his own weapon, still frowning.

"I really don't like her." Jaune muttered.

A pair of arms wrapped around his chest and fiery red hair fell over his shoulder as Pyrrha rested her head on his shoulder from behind. "Jaune, please, don't make trouble when you've just arrived."

Jaune hmphed, but placed a hand on Pyrrha's, his expression softening. Ozpin couldn't help but smile. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Arc. We'd feared the worst."

Jaune smiled in return. "Instead you've got the best. Both of 'em."

Glynda, Peter and Bartholomew's eyes all widened in surprise at the confidence in Jaune's voice. Thaddeus just laughed heartily. "You'll never believe what I've done with this kid."

"Actually, Thaddeus, I believe I will. In fact, Mr. Wukong had sent me a video of Jaune's performance against the Spider Droids and I will not mince words: I was highly impressed. Evidently Jaune learned a great deal from you." Ozpin replied, nodding almost respectfully at Thaddeus.

"Jaune-Jaune was super cool!" Nora replied, rushing in from behind them, bouncing up and down. "He was totally not lame like before!"

"Nora!" Pyrrha shouted, frowning.

"Hehe, sorry." Nora bashfully answered.

"It's fine," Jaune replied. "There was a reason I left. I was not ready for Beacon, no matter how much I tried to tell myself." Jaune's voice was somber as he continued. "But I'm ready now. I've faced my demons and I've come out stronger. Thanks to uncle Thaddeus, I'm ready to take on the responsibility and challenges of a Hunter and show Beacon what I've learned. I'm here to stay, should you have me." Jaune stared at Ozpin.

Ozpin fell silent for a few moments. Jaune's gaze glanced at the other teachers, noticing Port poorly attempting to hide a smile, Glynda's face softening and even Oobleck looking very amused. Finally, the Headmaster stepped forward, his hand reaching into his pocket and withdrawing from it a golden Scroll, the same ones used by the students of the school, presenting it. "Welcome back to Beacon, Mr. Arc. We'll be expecting great things from you."

Jaune reached forward and grabbed the Scroll, nodding. "Then it'd be remiss of me to disappoint."

The sounds of footsteps alerted Jaune to Team RWBY, Ren and Sun making their way towards him, all smiling. "So?" Yang asked, tilting her head.

Jaune flashed his golden Scroll, earning a cheer from Team RWBY and Nora. "'suppose I should thank you, Sun, for filming me."

"Oh, don't thank me just yet." Sun's smile grew.

"...Why?" Jaune's expression turned suspicious and he felt a growing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"'cause I also uploaded it onto the Dustnet. By this time, every student in Beacon should have seen you kick fifteen different kinds of ass!" Sun pumped his fist for emphasis, the look in his face expecting Jaune to thank him.

So it was quite a surprise for the monkey Faunus when Jaune pulled out his gun and attempted to approach him, his eyes narrowed. " _Bastard! I'll kill you!_ "

Sun took the hint and started to take off like the Devil himself was on his heels as Jaune struggled against his partner's embrace, ranting and raving about how he'd end Sun. Pyrrha simple smiled as she tightened her hold on Jaune and nestled her face in the crook of his neck, enjoying his closeness. "Jaune, be nice."

"Pyrrha! I wasn't asking for _that_ kind of attention! Just let me kill him a little!" Jaune whined, still trying to free himself from her arms.

"Jaune, no." Pyrrha's calm voice answered, refusing to let him go. Thaddeus' response of laughter was infectious and soon Team RWBY and (most of) Team JNPR were all laughing as Jaune continued to scream threats at a rapidly retreating Sun.

 **[Beacon -Team JNPR Dorm Room]**

"Uggh." Jaune stumbled into the familiar and yet distant dorm room, his team right behind him. He shuffled over to his old bed and fell directly into it, face first. "So tired..." Jaune muttered.

Pyrrha simply laughed softly and sat down next to him, rubbing his back gently. "Well, we all fought a tough battle, found you, and returned to Beacon. It's been quite a day."

Jaune gave another groan. "Doesn't help that I had to deal with _everyone and their brother_ going on and on about how awesome that fight was. God, I'm exhausted with all the questions..."

Nora jumped onto her own bed, eyes wide. "Did you see the look on Cardin's face when he saw you? I think he actually went pale!"

Jaune slowly rose a hand, giving a thumbs up. "Yaaaay."

Ren smirked. "Think you'd be a little more excited knowing that you've finally put fear into him."

"I couldn't care less about Winchester nor the rest of his jackass team at the moment. I'm just happy to be back and resting."

Pyrrha smiled and slowly laid herself over Jaune's back, earning a small blush from the exhausted boy. "And we couldn't be happier to have you back, Jaune." Jaune nodded and didn't move. Normally he'd be too embarrassed with the closeness and intimacy Pyrrha was displaying, but a combination of exhaustion and willingness to let his former partner have as much time with him as she could had him simply letting her remain as close as she wished.

"Some of us more than others!" Nora replied in a teasing tone of voice, winking at Ren.

"I wonder whom..." Ren added in, strongly hinting with his voice.

Jaune couldn't see it due to being face down on his bed, but Pyrrha's face turned bright red. Nora and Ren however, noticed that she _hadn't_ denied it. Nora was a little irritated though; she'd been expecting a heartfelt confession from Pyrrha the moment she and Jaune had any time alone, but judging from Jaune's reactions and Pyrrha's embarrassment, she _still_ hadn't admitted her feelings. Nora groaned and rolled her eyes. "Someone _obviously close_ to him."

Jaune lifted a finger into the air, and with the same exhausted tone of voice he'd been using, muttered, "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Ren, Nora and Pyrrha's eyes widened in surprise and Pyrrha's visage turned an even bright red as she quickly got off of her partner, looking nervous. "J-J-Jaune...I...I..." Pyrrha began, hardly believing her ears.

"Yeah, Ruby totally missed me a lot, I got that." Jaune murmured. The sound of three palms hitting three foreheads had Jaune tilting his head quizzically. "What?"

"N-never mind..." Nora groaned, pitching forward.

Pyrrha sighed, shoulder slumping dejectedly. _The more things change…_ she thought to herself. She watched as Jaune slowly rolled over in his bed, facing the ceiling, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Judging just by what she'd experienced in this day alone, she felt confident in knowing that her partner, her friend, the boy she loved was the same as when he'd left them, if not better. There was still a kindness in his eyes and a warmth in his actions that Pyrrha was thankful for being able to experience once more. Although, the fact that Jaune hadn't given anyone any details of what he'd been doing for the past year was a little unnerving, but she simply chalked that down to Jaune not wanting to bore them all with tales of his training. "So I'm surprised your uncle is teaching here." Pyrrha mused.

"Yeah, uncle Thaddeus said he'd wanted to do some teaching after he'd taught me. He figured he could keep an eye on me as well as pass on some more of his knowledge to the rest of Beacon in the process. Well, that and I think he'd enjoy causing some havoc amongst the staff." Jaune fiddled with the collar of his coat as he spoke.

"Any reason as to why they seem so...hostile...towards your uncle, Jaune?" Ren queried, sitting at his desk while he cleaned Stormflower.

Jaune simply chuckled. "They've got some history. My uncle is a troll. Do the math."

Pyrrha's face fell. "Please tell me he'll actually take teaching seriously...I even signed up for his class..."

Jaune cocked an eyebrow at her statement. "Already? He just got here!"

Pyrrha turned away to hide her blush. "I-I just thought that since he taught you so much, I'd learn much from him..."

"Suuuuure." Nora interjected, grinning knowingly.

After shooting her teammate with a glare, Pyrrha turned back to Jaune with a nervous smile. "So...about Thaddeus?"

Jaune waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about him Pyrrha. Uncle might be a bit absurd and he might enjoy tormenting people a little too much from time to time, but I'm more than certain that he'll take the job seriously. Has anyone else taken this class?"

Pyrrha nodded. "I believe that Blake, Yang and Ruby all decided to sign up as well."

"I'll be signing up for it as soon as I can. I have a couple of free periods throughout the day on Wednesday, so I think I can squeeze in his class." Ren added.

"Which means I'm coming too!" Nora exclaimed, garnering a chuckle from Jaune.

"You two still joined at the hip?" Jaune grinned.

"W-what? N-no!" Ren sputtered, the gun he was cleaning almost slipping out of his hands.

"Y-yeah! We're together, not together-together!" Nora continued, frowning and crossing her arms.

"Gooootcha." Jaune answered in a tone of voice that sounded as if he didn't believe them at all. "For two people who aren't together-together, you two are awfully close. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"Speak for yourself..." muttered Ren irritably.

"What do you mean by that?" Jaune queried.

"He means nothing Jaune." Pyrrha fixed Ren with a glance. Ren simply smiled at her in return.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but between the exhaustion from the day and the fact that I have to start classes literally tomorrow, I think it's time we all get to bed. Hey, you guys all have a free period tomorrow, right?" Jaune asked.

"What did you have in mind, Jaune?" Pyrrha replied.

"We haven't fought together as a team in quite some time, so I'd like for us to start doing some team exercises. None of you are probably used to my new style of combat, so I think it's a good idea for us to start working together as soon as possible."

"A-an excellent idea, Jaune!" Pyrrha exclaimed, smiling brightly.

"Seriously Jaune, here for less than a day and already thinking like a leader." Ren replied. "I do agree though, sleep sounds good right about now."

"Yep!" Nora happily dove under her blankets, and in seconds, her clothes flew out before the blanket dropped down, revealing Nora in her pajamas. "Taa-daa!"

Jaune continued to lay back as everyone started their nightly routine, getting changed into their own nightclothes. Nora was the first into bed, clicking off the lamp near her, followed shortly by Ren. Jaune waited for Pyrrha to go to her bed, but found himself surprised when Pyrrha walked over to his bed in her nightclothes and sit down next to him. There was a few moments of silence before Pyrrha clicked off Jaune's lamp. "Uh, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha abruptly laid down next to him, putting her arm over him, much to his ever increasing embarrassment. "Yes?"

Jaune's face was burning and he was glad for the darkness of the room so Pyrrha couldn't see him. _She's...soft...she smells nice too. GAH! What am I talking about?!_ "U-um...you...uh...gonna go to bed?"

Pyrrha nuzzled her face against Jaune's chest, smiling widely. "Mhm."

There was silence. It stretched on for a while before Jaune spoke up again. "I only ask because...well, you're in my bed."

Pyrrha's response was only a mischief tinted, "Mhm."

Silence again. Jaune sighed and shook his head. "You...you're not gonna leave, are you?"

"Mhm."

Another sigh. With a shrug and an amused, but still embarrassed chuckle, he put his arm over Pyrrha's body, feeling his partner sink into his embrace fully. Just this night. Just this once he'd let her stay. It was all he could do to let her know that he felt bad about what he'd done, and just how much they all meant to him. He swore he could hear snickering from Nora and Ren's beds, but he ignored it, rolling his eyes. Silence fell over the dorm room once more as the moments ticked away, Jaune's eyelids feeling heavy. Before he could fall asleep though, a thought occurred to mind, one that had been bugging him since he saw Pyrrha back at the Dockyards. "Hey...Pyrrha?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I have my hoodie back?"

Pyrrha gave a noise like she was thinking about it, and after a few moments, Jaune swore he could her her smiling as she responded with a short, "Nope."

"...Figured."

 **[One Week Later – Beacon – Headmaster's Office]**

"...and that should complete your paperwork, Ms. Eclair." Ozpin replied, straightening the paperwork before him.

The short girl sitting in the chair in front of his desk gave a smile and held up her Scroll. ' _Please, call me Mint.'_

"Very well Mint. We'll be having initiation in a week, as this is the middle of the term, but there are a large number of prospective students who are joining alongside you and we feel we'll be able to place you in a team, regardless of your particular circumstance." Ozpin explained.

' _I do hope so. Although, is there anything against being placed in a particular team already formed?'_ The pigtailed gothic loli tilted her head to emphasize her questioning.

"I'm afraid only in specific circumstances. Four man teams are created in order to maximize potential and adding more to that might add only to confusion. Why, may I ask?"

' _Oh, no reason. Just...curious.'_

"I see. Well, Mint Eclair, may I be the first to officially welcome you to Beacon Academy. I'm very eager to see what you, as well as our new students are capable of." Ozpin extended a hand, which the green eyed girl shook.

' _Oh, don't worry, Mr. Ozpin. I promise, I won't be a disappointment.'_ The loli got up and quickly hopped away, moving out the door with swiftness, earning a chuckle from the Headmaster.

[You old fool. I can't believe you fell for the fake transcripts so easily. Oh well. First things first, time to find Jaune…]

 **[End Book 1]**

 _ **Author's Note: ...And with this, we come to a close on our first book! Hopefully this ending wasn't too rushed, but I wanted to at least set the scene for the next book. That little bit of Arkos fluff towards the end is no confirmation of an Arkos shipping, just something I felt I owed Pyrrha's character after all the crap I put her through...and all the crap I'm going to put her through. Hopefully I can get started on the next book soon, as well as continue with Immortal (holy crap, you guys REALLY love that idea! Less that 24 hours posted and I'm sitting on a mountain of follows and favorites!). Do you guys have any questions, comments or concerns? Anything I didn't answer in my Q &A earlier on? Feel free to leave them in a review and I'll have an ending Q&A session for the next posting of this.**_

 _ **[…]**_

 _ **TIME FOR SHAMLESS SELF PLUG!**_

 _ **If anyone is curious, I'd also like to know if any of you would be interested in viewing some original work of mine. I'd been working on a story for quite a while, but have since stopped writing it, but I wanted to show some people to get their opinions. It's all original content, so if that's your thing, lemme know. Hell, if enough of you ask, I'll probably just post it on Fiction Press.**_

 _ **And remember, leave your reviews!**_


	23. Author Q&A 2

**Author Q &A Pt. 2**

 _ **Hokay, so here we go again! A few questions, comments, ect.**_

 _ **[Neo]**_

 **Soooooo, remember how I said that I wasn't going to make this a Jaune x Neo fic? Turns out, I'm a big fat liar who lies a lot. Well, sort of. I'm not confirming anything, but I have a seriously interesting idea with her, that will probably not only salvage her character, but actually make her an awesome idea to throw in. So she's got a fighting chance for Jaune with what I have planned, but again, not confirmed.**

 _ **[Coming Home To Roost]**_

 **Holy carp. This was...well, controversial. Many of you liked it, some of you didn't, those who didn't had good reasons. I'm going to compromise with you folks, and admit...I think it did feel a tad rushed. To be fair, I was more worried about getting chapters out fast, and didn't spend as much time as I should have building things up. I still stick with my decision to have Jaune return to Beacon because I believe that's what would naturally occur, but if you disagree, you do have my apologies. Perhaps another of my work would be something you'd enjoy more, but for what it's worth, I do appreciate your constructive criticism. I'm glad to say that none of you just flamed me without having a good reason, so with that, you all have my honest, and not-at-all sarcastic thanks. (Seriously, it's hard not to sound sarcastic when you're thanking people for critiquing your work. 0_o)**

 **I might at some point rewrite those chapters, but that'll be a way off.**

 _ **[The Phantom Nevermore: Chaos Theory]**_

 **This will be a second book. Now, it might take a while for me to get around to actually starting it. Why?**

 **A few reasons. One, I have a few paths I might take on this plot, but I'm not exactly sure which to take. On one hand, I can keep it lighthearted, with a mostly heroic Jaune/Phantom Nevermore, complete with comedy and over the top acting. Or I could go with a slightly darker bent (Not emo, just darker) that forces Jaune to face that the world of Remnant is no fairy tale, and no matter how he tries, in the end, he has to face the fact that if he wants to save it, he might have to do a few things he'd never thought he'd ever do. Or, maybe something in between. I'm not sure.**

 **Second, is you folks REALLY love Immortal. I mean, holy carp, I was not expecting such a massive turnout of favs/follows/reviews. Not complaining, mind, but it was unexpected. So I'd like to concentrate a little more on that for now, to give you folks the humor and absurdity you so apparently crave.**

 **Thirdly...this is horribly unprofessional, but the only thing I need say is Fallout 4. Yep.**

 **I'm a terrible person. :)**

 **[Parings]**

 **I...uh...er...um…**

 **I DON'T KNOW?!**

 **Seriously, there's plenty of opportunity for just about any girl. Tons of you want Yang, tons of you want Pyrrha, some of you want others, and some of you want Neo.**

 **And I have no idea right now who to go with.**

 **Right now, I'm somewhere torn between Pyrrha and Neo, both of them almost being a sort of path Jaune can take. Pyrrha being the good girl who'd try her best to get Jaune back on the straight and narrow, but already loves him dearly. Neo on the other hand would understand Jaune's position, and a friendship/relationship with him could actually change her, not to good, but at least to Chaotic Neutral loyal to Jaune's motivations.**

 **Yang could be interesting, but as I see it, she's really only attracted to Jaune's persona, which is just that, a persona. It's a false mask used to hide from others, and although parts of it might bleed into Jaune's every day life, it's just not who he is. Maybe Yang might learn to appreciate like Jaune's normal self as well as his thief persona...but who knows.**

 **Blake's still in the running too, although I'm still deciding how to run her arc with Jaune/Phantom Nevermore and not make it seemed forced.**

 **Of course, there's always the option of having no paring but…**

 **I like shipping. Leave me alone.**

 _ **[Potential Alternate Reality]**_

 **I was going to think about doing an alternate take on the first Book where Jaune doesn't come back to Beacon…**

 **BUT I DON'T HAVE TO!**

 **An enterprising fan has asked (and received permission) to be allowed to make an alternate idea based on this, and from what they've told me, they have some awesome ideas. You know who you are. I'm looking forward to this.**

 _ ***staaaaaaaaaaaaare***_

 _ **[Final Words]**_

 _ **Thanks all of you. You guys are seriously awesome and you have all given me reason to keep writing. Your reviews, good or not, have really given me the motivation to keep writing, and I hope to keep entertaining all of you in the future, regardless of how many new and awesome games come out.**_

 _ **Now if you'll excuse me, I need to breathe into a paper bag so I can stop hyperventilating in excitement for Fallout 4.**_

 _ **Signing off for now, LaughingLefou.**_

 _ **[P.S. If you can be bothered, check out my profile for a link to my FictionPress page with my original work! It's shite, old and a rough draft, but I'd like to know your opinions anyway! Maybe it isn't a complete cow patty like I think it is...]**_


	24. Author's Note 2

_**Author's Note 2**_

 _ **Okay fans of the Phantom Nevermore, I have some bad news and some good news.**_

 _ **So let's dispense with the bad news first.**_

 _ **Bad news is? Phantom Nevermore: Chaos Theory is on indefinite hiatus.**_

 _ **Why?**_

 _ **Well, I've taken some time away from the Phantom Nevermore, and having gone back to it, rereading it, and thinking about original ideas I had for it, I have come to a conclusion.**_

 _ **I don't like it. Well, okay, the original idea itself was interesting, but it got too dramatic and too serious, and I should have put a lot more silly, awesome Jaune in it. Too much sad Pyrrha, too little awesomely thief-y Jaune. The Semblance, while originally an interesting idea, ended up being a little too OP, and while it had its weaknesses, it was just too strong, especially for a character who was supposed to be skilled in stealth and deception. Jaune going back to Beacon made sense to me from a character standpoint, but from a story standpoint, it just...lacked a certain something.**_

 _ **All in all, I just wasn't satisfied with how it turned out.**_

 _ **So what's the good news?**_

 _ **Well, I'm thinking of doing a semi re-write. The core concept will remain the same (Jaune becoming a Phantom Thief and stealing stuff), while the premise will be drastically different. The idea will be that Jaune lost his family at an early age, and was adopted by Thaddeus, being molded to become a thief from an early age, and never actually going to Beacon. He'll still encounter the Beacon group, of course, but this way he doesn't have any particular attachments to the school or the people within. Without Jaune having been there in the first place, Pyrrha would be a lot less sad for having never met him, (although I think there'd still be a touch of melancholy for the lack of someone who treats her as Jaune did), and everyone else wouldn't have known him to miss him.**_

 _ **That, and there will be quite a few changes. Some actions Jaune will take early on will cause some major changes to the story and certain characters. Below, I'm going to list a few changes for those of you who don't mind spoilerage, and am wondering what plans I have, but for those of you who do mind spoilers and want to naturally know what I have planned as I write it, then I'd stop reading here.**_

 _ **Ready?**_

 _ **Here we go!**_

…

 _ **I'm serious.**_

 _ **Spoilers Ahead.**_

…

 _ **You expected spoilers, but instead it was me! Dio!**_

 _ **Okay, no seriously, last chance.**_

 _ **Alright, I'm doing this to add space so people who are reading this don't automatically see the spoilers and freak out.**_

 _ **Hey. You. Yeah, you. No, not you, the pretty one. Yeah, the one with the boobs.**_

 _ **Hey.**_

 _ **Spoilers. Almost typed that as spoiers.**_

 _ **cracks knuckles**_

 _ **Here goes!**_

 **1.) Blake never leaves the White Fang.**

 **Bet you're kinda confused, right? Well, here's my reasoning. The 'From Shadows' video, made me think that that train robbery was the straw that broke Blake's back as far as her loyalty to the White Fang went, and if it hadn't been for Adam's callousness, she'd still be on the fence about it. She'll still be against what the White Fang is doing in this, but as far as outright turning away, that point would arrive later on in the story, which means she ends up meeting Cinder, Roman, and the rest as Adam's right hand. The deciding factor for Blake's remaining with the White Fang will be Jaune, or the Phantom himself, deciding to steal the train for himself on the same day, interfering with their heist, and forcing them, (or most likely tricking them) into abandoning the train, so Blake never makes that key decision.**

 **2.) Jaune's Semblance will be completely different.**

 **I wanted to go with something that was more fitting a thief, specifically a Phantom Thief. I wanted to go for something that really didn't have any offensive capabilities, unlike his previous one. I'm still debating on the full rules of this, but I'd like to present to you, the aptly titled Phantom Thief: How it works is that Jaune has to make physical contact with his target in order to use his Semblance, effectively 'tagging' or 'marking' them with his Semblance. Once he's done so, he can use the tag or mark in order to steal an item from the target even at long distances. Once he does so, the tag/mark vanishes from the target, and he has to touch them again to use it again. So he could use it to steal items, steal weapons, ect. I was toying around with the idea of allowing him to steal someone's Semblance (he's a thief, remember?) but with the caveat that he couldn't use his own Semblance while he had someone else's and he could only steal one at a time, forcing him to give back the first Semblance to the original owner. Plus, the idea that he hasn't had experience with the other person's Semblance, so he wouldn't be quite as skilled in its use as they were. Perhaps he could steal Aura, allowing him to drain a fraction of their Aura to replenish his own? Let me know your opinions on this and what you guys would like to see, and I'll take your advices into account.**

 **3.) Jaune won't be quite as heroic.**

 **In the original Phantom Nevermore, Jaune was pretty much just working in a moral gray area. He wasn't stealing for money, or fame, (well, mostly anyway), but because it was the right thing to do, and he still had dreams of becoming some form or another of hero. In the re-write, Jaune would have been raised with a thief mindset, so he'll be stealing more than just the Dust Crystals. Cash, jewels, ect, and not to mention more public appearances. He's a villain, but only just. He's still Jaune, so he still has a firm moral compass, just askew from canon. PN!Jaune will never kill, never rob from the poor, never discriminate against Faunus, ect, but has no problem stealing. Taking the Schnee family jewels from Weiss' neck during her 'Mirror Mirror' concert? No problemo! Crashing a train into a wall to let in hundreds of Grimm and causing the deaths of hundreds of innocents? Now you're going WAY too far.**

 **4.) Speaking of Weiss…**

 **Not only her, but everyone else as well will be affected by Jaune in one way or another, changing things around. Sort of a butterfly effect if you will. Blake is by far the most drastic change due to his interference, but Yang, Ruby, Weiss, Pyrrha, and possibly even Nora and Ren will be affected by Jaune's absence in this, as well as his actions.**

 **5.) Neo will have a bigger role.**

 **This one will be my biggest challenge, mainly because, I don't know how I want to write Neo. One one hand, I could go canon Neo, and make her a mischievous sadist. Perhaps acting as a villainous wild card and both aiding and interfering with both Jaune and Cinder, being more flirtatious to the former. However, her being a sadist might be a sort of point of contention between the two. I still want her to be a main character though. I could try writing her in a different light, but I'm already going to be writing Jaune semi OOC, and I don't want to go too far with that. I'll figure something out, but in the mean time, feel free to leave opinions, ect.**

 **6.) Updates will be slower.**

 **For multiple reasons. One, Immortal. Holy crap, Immortal. I had NO idea it'd become so popular so fast. Over 600 followers?! Over 450 favorites?! I didn't realize insanity, perversion and death was so popular! Then again, this IS the internet… Reason two is Fallout 4/Binding of Isaac. I'm a big gamer, and those two are distracting as balls. Reason three?**

 **7.) This WILL be Beta Read.**

 **I should have done this previously, and had done so with the first chapter, but kinda borked it when I was more concerned with update speed. Some of the best works on this site update once a month, IF that. I'll try not to be that slow, but I'm going to take some more time with this in order to give you guys the best that I can.**

 _ **So there you have it. I'm sure some of you might wish to see Chaos Theory become a thing, but as I said, I'm just not satisfied with what I have so far. I feel I can give all of you better, and with this idea, I feel there's a lot more to be explored, and a lot more fun thievery to be had. So, with that being said, I'm finally putting the Phantom Nevermore to close, and hopefully soon I'll be able to update with the first chapter of The Phantom Nevermore: Moonlit Sonata!**_

 _ **This is LaughingLefou, signing off for now!**_

 _ **(P.S. I'll try to answer any questions you guys have via PM. If you're a guest, I probably can't help you on that front. )**_


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